Rise from the Dark, Step from the Shadow
by MadScrivenings
Summary: To be ignored. To be hated. To have parents who hold no place in you heart. To be swathed in dark, to hold demons within. To be plagued with no one to trust and no family. This is the story of Naruto Uzumaki. His mental state on the brink, his family insane, his goals so far away, let's see what he brings to play. AU, OOC. semi-dark, semi-strange, possible plot holes.
1. Chapter 1

Rise from the Dark, Step from the Shadow

CH:1 Special beginnings

I stared sadly at Narumi. I watched her face break out into a humongous grin. She was with her parents, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Namikaze. I didn't consider myself part if the family. I haven't since I was a young child. My name is Naruto and this is my life.

When the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked the hidden village in the leaves, the Yondaime hokage came out to face her. That's right, I said her. Just because something is mean doesn't automatically make it male, and for the people who think women can't be mean then just think of every woman who has ever murdered someone, yelled at orphans, or insulted someone. But I am not writing this to speak of the battle of the sexes. Regardless of my blither blather, after the massive battle the yellow flash sealed the beast into a child. That child was me, big shocker. But the thing is only I know the full truth. That on that dreadful day the fourth placed a seal on both me and my sister Narumi. But as I said he sealed the beast, but instead of my sister gaining the chakra and myself the soul, I got the whole package. My sibling had an empty cage. Hurray for me.

With that simple fact I was cursed, shunned, hated, and beaten. As far back as I remember I've been my sister's shadow, her darkness. If she played a prank on someone, I was blamed. If she desired something, it was hers. It was almost like I didn't exist except for her personal tool to suck up all her problems. After I turned five, I gave up on being part of their family. They were my family, but not at the same time. Kushina my mother, but not at the same moment. Narumi my sibling, not so as well. It was confusing at first glance but was true. The boy whose family that was not his own.

When I was younger I tried to make friends. Any child I met shunned me and wanted to play with Narumi. I tried to be helpful, but was scorned. After being rejected so thoroughly, I turned to books. Or more specifically, the ninja arts. I read all I could in ninjutsu and taijutsu. Scouring the entire library for tombs of genjutsu and other fabled ninja arts. Of iryojutsu and bloodlines. All of this information filled my head, and then I trained. Trained to the bone and doubled it. I was determined to master it all and make it my power. I eventually made one friend. His name Itachi Uchiha. Whenever he wasn't busy with Anbu he would help me train. I quickly discovered I was what people in Konoha a, "Genius." I excelled immediately in whatever I attempted to learn, no matter the difficulty of the subject. I even learned an A-rank jutsu in one night, it's name Kage bushin no jutsu.

One year later I had strength, but not nearly enough for I planned. But that was also the day I and Narumi joined the ninja academy. That was also the day I cast the first stone for what I had planned. My plan to step from the shadows, to rise from the darkness!

…... Six years earlier...


	2. Ch: 2 Special Beginnings

**An: Basically this chapter shows you Naruto's strength and where he is at. So a lot of exposition and training and semi-boring stuff. Picks up half-way through the chapter to more exciting stuff. ALSO, COOKIE FOR EVERYONE WHO READ THE PROLOGUE! Thanks for that. It's chocolate chip, hope you enjoy. Leave a review if you want to tell me how bad my writing is, or how much I suck. I guarantee I will cry for negative twenty seconds over senseless hate. For real reviewers tell me what you liked, what you hated, and what I could do better. I only have four chapters fully written(this one included) so I can implement stuff later on. I am also nowhere even near an amateur at Japanese so don't hate to much on me if I mess up. Also If you hate me using Japanese, say so in the comments and I'll stop. I just think hokage is cooler than fire shadow. Enough of my AN, go ahead and read. Ps: naruto is six when it is six years earlier and nine when it is three years. **

"Hello" normal talking

"_Time to die" mental thoughts_

"**I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra**

"_**I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c **_

…...Six years earlier... Naruto's first day at the Ninja academy...

I dragged my feet into the classroom already feeling the glares from my classmates. On my right cheek was a huge bruise throbbing angrily and telling me I'm stupid. The reason I had the stupid thing was because earlier I tried to be a nice guy, and every knows how well that always ends. Anyway, there was a Hyuuga girl outside the academy that I had spotted being bullied by three boys. I couldn't let someone be bullied in front of my eyes, so I went over to stop them. But as I neared the four, I realized I couldn't show my full strength because pretty much the first rule of deception is make the enemy underestimate you. Still, I didn't want to be late to class. So after a second's thought, I trekked up behind two of the boys and knocked them out via pressure points. The third charged me and I let hit me with a punch before I could fight back. I copied his form to give the Hyuuga time to run, and run she did. As soon as the girl was out of sight, I then easily dispatched the boy.

I was broken from my musings over my slight injury as I sat down in a chair in the back of the classroom. I didn't dare take the seat next to Narumi. Even though she gestured for me to sit next to her, I couldn't. I couldn't because I would be attacked by villagers (i.e. villagers from a SHINOBI village, come on say it with me SHI-NO-BI) for tainting the "hero". I also wouldn't even if I could because I just am not able to stand being near my family.

I saw from my darkness laced position Narumi frown. I didn't care. Minutes later the class was filled with students and the two instructors walked in. "Hello class, my name is Iruka,' he pointed towards himself, "and his is Mizuki," he finished by pointing at the silver haired instructor. You shall refer to us as,"sensei," or our "name" "sensei." He scanned the class after his statement, looking for understanding of what he had said. His eyes as well as Mizuki's seem to linger on me. "You are here to learn the Shinobi arts and I do not accept slackers." I heard a dismayed groan from someone in the middle rows.

The day then passed quickly with Iruka going over what my classmates and I would learn. When it was lunchtime, I quickly fled to the shadows of an oak outside where my class was eating. Sadly my sister deemed it important to speak with me. "Naruto-kun," she yelled while glomping my side. I cringed from her contact, for one moment thinking I was being beaten by a mob again. But as soon as that thought came it went. But I had a second reason to cringe. One of my so called, "family," was touching me. She felt me cringe but said nothing.

"What is it," I asked bluntly. "Come play with me and my friends," she asked. "I'm sorry Narumi, I'm busy," I replied with a small smile. On the inside however I was raging. "Well... ok then," she said with a sad look. Ugh, I couldn't stand her. The feeling was multiplied with how she had an obsession with me. She always wanted me to play with her or hug her or so many things with the two of us together, doing something. Her parents thought it was cute, like we were mini-Minato and Kushina's. Those are also the only times I am truly remembered. I knew my parents knew I existed, but they were always so focused on Narumi that I didn't matter.

…..Three years later...still three years before present time...

I hovered above my class in a tree eating my lunch _I_ had_ made. _My mother found it too unimportant to make me lunch, or talk to me. Or hug me and tell me she loves me. "_STOP!"_ I yelled to myself in my mind. "_If I keep this up I'll break down,"_ I spoke as a mantra in my head.

As the months passed, I mused after sufficiently calming myself, I had become much stronger, learning techniques and other important knowledge such as battle tactics, survival in the wild, e.t.c. With my powers rising, so did my anger. I could fight any jonin fairly(_who am I kidding, what ninja fight is fair, I mean __NINJAS__)_ and likely win. Yet, my sister who is 3rd from last place in my class is praised for losing her fights with other academy students. It made me grunt in fury. I needed to become stronger though, Strong enough to beat a kage. So I trained. I learned from Itachi Uchiha, one of the few people I could call friend, who was already encroaching on kage strength at 17 years of age.

Once my day ended at school, I headed straight to training ground 1/5. It was an abandoned secret training ground originally for Anbu. The reason it wasn't in use was because the strength of the Anbu's were deemed to powerful for the area, which happened to be close to civilians. Therefore it was perfect for me. A secret ground as well as scaring the shit out of civilians.

Moving on, I was practicing elemental affinities, or more specifically my fourth affinity. Of the five main affinities, my strongest was wind. Most would say that is my affinity and call it there, but in truth everyone was actually attuned to all five of the elements. One was just simply so much higher than all the rest that the others couldn't really match. There was also the fact that even though your affinity was supposedly the easiest for yourself, it was still pretty damn hard. That only makes other elements harder and is why the element strong against one's own affinity is the hardest to learn. To return to what I was doing was that of me practicing my fourth affinity, or suiton: water element. It was while I was practicing the water element(because I was already proficient in Wind, Lightning, and fire) that my senses went haywire. I dodged hard to my left. There in my place where I was just practicing was a flurry of shuriken. I looked warily for any signs of who had tossed them and quickly spotted the aggressor. It was a single Anbu who wore a kitsune mask, the porcelain of the mask formed to make a snarling visage. I then flung myself towards the fox-faced individual, hoping to dispatch the enemy in a quick matter of time. Less than a second later the air was filled with a deadly dance of kunai and fists. As we broke apart I got a deep slash to my attackers chest. I could also see from my close-up view point that the Anbu was already exhausted and looking like he (I could tell from after I stabbed him) had already been in a harsh battle, not only missing the iconic chest piece, but arm braces and shin guards as well. In return from my previous attack I received a thick cut to my left thigh, with blood immediately spewing out. I flashed through seven seals as I back-pedaled and yelled, "Katon: Embers of god no jutsu," and as my chakra finished flaring, three massive embers formed in the air in a moments notice and then split into hundreds of gumball sized projectiles and launched at the attacker. The kitsune-Anbu the blurred through hand seals at speeds I couldn't see and intoned, "Suiton: Ocean Impass no jutsu," the jutsu unleashing a massive wall of water that was continuously being refilled by a torrent of H2O from the Anbu. I could also see the Anbu had moved his mask but with the water obscuring his facial features by distorting them.

Due to the severity of situation, I decided to bring out the metaphorical big guns. I didn't want to do this, but I had to use my Minato's jutsu. I had to use the rasengan. The thought of the technique made me think of how I had learned it. I had learned the jutsu when Narumi was attempting to learn it. When her father had shown her the technique I memorized what he had explained to her to be able to learn it and use those tips to teach it to myself. Narumi, of course, was unable to learn the technique because of her terrible chakra control. I however was able to use it in a week. I held out my right hand, easily forming the famous technique. I used my left to form a ball of pure wind chakra in a sort of faux replication of the rasengan that was just as deadly as the rasengan.

Using chakra to insanely boost my speed, I rushed the Anbu as his technique fell. As I neared the Anbu, I suddenly felt the cut on my thigh pulse in pain and yelled, "AGH." The speed at which I was moving was simply too much pressure on the leg wound and had caused intense pain, making my aim mess up. Rather than hitting the Anbu in the face like I was aiming for, I instead nailed the bastard in the stomach the attack caused the recipient to be knocked down, a scream of pain accompanying the falling. As soon as I had recovered from the pain, I stalked over to the fallen man and removed the fox mask.

It was... Itachi Uchiha! What was he doing here? Why did he attack me? Because of his attack, I had made a titanic hole in his gullet. He couldn't survive missing half his organs! One thing out all this craziness was that Itachi Uchiha was a dead man breathing his last breaths. Also along with that thought, how could I have beat him. Even though I saw he was tired, it just didn't make sense that I could beat him. The Uchiha could have easily used a genjutsu too have beaten me. I just didn't understand! I did not notice my eye twitch as I gripped my skull.

"What are you doing here Itachi," I screamed! "I... had to show you, Naruto, how strong you are," Itachi shuddered, his blood staining the grass. "I lied to when we trained, you're not as weak as you think. I had told you that you were weaker than you really were because I was jealous. To think, I, heir to the Uchiha clan and known prodigy jealous of you, a boy whose family doesn't have time for and recipient of a hateful village. But as much as I was jealous, I also loved you as much as my own brother of flesh and blood. To me you were another brother, a precious person who I must protect. But so much has caught to me. I couldn't keep running, so the best way keep things the way they should was to fight you, to have you _kill_ me. It will let me rest in peace to know someone I love is my final foe and not a nameless enemy who would use my death as a path to glory." Itachi wheezed as he whispered his last words. His eyes were fading and I felt my heart dieing, for I was the one who caused this. "Most of all, Naruto, I wanted to show you Naruto that you don't need a clan to be strong, just a will to do what must be done and a dream." Suddenly the heir to the Uchiha clan looked desperate. "Come closer Naruto," I bent lower and before I could react, Itachi had in a sudden jerk of his arm, slashed a kunai through my eye, effectively ruining it without causing excessive damage to me. Itachi smiled grimly, "Now you have to take my eye, to be my final gift to you, Happy early Birthday Naruto."

…...3 hours later...

I stared at Itachi's grave, my face aching and my new sharingan spinning. I had done as Itachi had said and removed his eye and attached it to myself. He had also had me remove his other and store it in a jar in which he then promptly using the last of his chakra sealed the eye in a seal he had formed on my right bicep, saying the seal will open when I needed the eye the most. I then held his hand as he died, as my brother died. As soon as Itachi's eyes had faded I dug a grave using my bare hands and buried him and just stared at the grave ever since. I still didn't know why he had done it, or if I did I just couldn't believe it.

Another reason I lingered was I didn't know how to tell his mother, Mikoto Uchiha. She was one of the few people in this village that didn't hate me(and I didn't hate them i.e. my "family"). Now I was terrified that she would. That thought brought a gut-wrenching pain to my heart. I would be truly alone again. Again like those days when it was only me, without the skills to defend myself from even the weakest villager. Not a single person in the world I could trust. I shook my head, it didn't matter what I felt. Somehow I would tell the Uchiha woman, I had to. For Itachi's sake as well as mine. I then sunk to my knees, my hands resting on my brother's grave. I felt the tears wanting to be released. But no matter how much I wanted them to fall, they stayed within me, never descending.

Before I knew what was happening, I was abruptly wracked with agony. I fell over losing consciousness. I tried to fight it, but the pain. The pain was unbearable. Lingering in my veins like a million needles made of fire stabbing my very being. My skin feeling as if it was being roasted from the inside. I finally lost and closed my eyes to sleep.

...Naruto's mind-scape...

I dragged myself to my feet, suddenly conscious of my awoken state. In front of me was a great and voluminous cage with a small tag placed high in the air on the opening of the passageway with the word, "seal," placed on it in kanji. But that wasn't what held my attention. It was just the monolithic nine tailed fox behind it.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune stared down at me fulgent. The terrifying presence it had felt almost comforting as it watched me. "Greetings, puny container, I am the great and elysian Kyuubi no Yoko." The fox smiled a sinister canine teeth filled grin. "I have summoned you here to parley, I don't particularly wish to die, but if you die, I will as well. Straight to the shinigami's viscus with the both of us. So in life threatening events, I will aid you." I stood proudly with a horrific gleam in my eyes. "You...You...YOU HORRIBLE AND NASTY CREATURE," I screeched, rage plundering my veins, "YOU DARE PRESUME TO BE ARROGANT AND SUPERCILIOUS WITH TO ME!" Another look came into my eyes, one of someone on the edge of insanity. I however had no idea at the time. "I AM YOUR CONTAINER, YOUR CAGE, YOUR MASTER BY RIGHTS AND GROWING EVER MORE TRUE FOR EVERY SECOND YOU ARE SEALED INSIDE ME," I bellowed. The kyuubi appeared to be blushing if that sort of thing is even possible for a 500 foot tall fox. I even so, far to lost in rage to notice paid no attention. "**So if you ever threaten me again**," the biju was now covered in giant thick glowing chains that restricted the beast painfully, **"then I will become your worst nightmare**."

….Real world...

It was night when I came to. How could it be night? I had remembered vaguely when I had raged at the fox that I was only speaking to it for a few minutes. I stood up and then noticed something different. I felt taller? I mad my way over to a slow running nearby stream and peered into it. I searched for something different until I noticed it. I was taller. Of my original height of five feet, I had to have grown a few inches. This was most definitely new, though I hoped it was a one time thing. I didn't want to be like eight feet tall by the time I'm twenty.

I reached into my back pouch and pulled out... his mask. I couldn't even think his name for it hurt too much. I placed it onto my face and prepared to take off. I was just another Anbu. The most important fact was that I was now anonymous. I had to visit Mikoto. I fled to the trees and then to the rooftops once I had exited the training grounds. They looked almost infinite at this hour of the early morning. I tried to lose myself in thought but couldn't. For the first time in my life, I felt nervous.

I landed in front of the home of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. Sasuke, Itachi's brother also lived here but he was of no consequence. Only Mikoto mattered right now and what I had to tell her. I knocked tentatively at first, almost afraid. I knew Fugaku was out on a mission for the next month, so the people here were Mikoto and Sasuke. I waited for a response, and waited. Nothing. I then knocked once more with a little more force. I heard floaty steps and then light was suddenly shown on me from the open door. There was Mikoto in her sleep wear looking slightly tired but aware and alert, a trait all good ninjas had. "Yes," she said slightly impatiently. We both knew I wasn't Itachi for he wore a crow's mask and he wouldn't have knocked because he lived here.

"I...I... may I come in," I finally stuttered. Mikoto looked faintly surprised but waved me in. As soon as we were settled in the kitchen, I slumped. "Now," she chided, "what is it you want, Naruto." I didn't even flinch at how she must have recognized my voice when I had asked to come in. That thought easily explained how she knew it was me.

"I have something to tell you," I began. "It's about …. Itachi." Mikoto now looked concerned. "What about, Itachi?"

"Well... well...," I stammered not knowing how to explain. I felt the pressure build up in my chest and I couldn't take it anymore. I flung off my mask my new sharingan ablaze in the dim lighting, "He's dead."

The room went deathly quiet, only the slight quivering and back and forth motion of my mask on the table making any noise. I quickly glanced at Mikoto's face only to see it had taken a squalid look. "I," the words tumbled forth, "was training and then was attacked by a lone Anbu who was missing lots of standard Anbu gear and was exhausted as far as I could tell wearing that mask." I pointed at the mask I had thrown. "We fought and I eventually won and removed the mask. It was Itachi; if I had known I would have let him kill me." I took a deep breath, "I know you could never forgive me but you deserved too know." I tensed up, waiting for her to scream, yell, even hit me, _kill me. Yet she did none of these things._ She instead wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. I flinched horribly because of her hug and jumped out of her arms. She looked at me with red(not sharingan, just swollen) and teary eyes, "why," she said simply.

I first I thought she was asking me to explain why I had killed Itachi but figured out she was asking why I had flinched. I explained how when I was younger and defenseless, mobs would beat me for containing the kyuubi. She then pulled me into another hug and this time I hugged back. I hugged her like a scared 4-year old. She whispered soft nothings in my ear assuring everything was okay and that she wasn't mad. I could feel her hot tears falling on my shoulder. I didn't care, it was the first time I had been hugged in such a long time. I didn't even remember my first hug and the only other one I remembered was a hug from the very same woman after Itachi had rescued me from a mob. I of course also didn't count my sister's glomps. The reason I didn't was because the hug held no true meaning. I still couldn't cry.

…...Back to present...

Iruka Umino walked into the classroom of his students from the pass six years and gazed on all his students in pride. Well almost all, he felt no pride when he looked at Naruto Namikaze. Every single child was present for today. He stared intently at each face in the class. He knew everyone would pass. They usually did. It was just the jonin test the set apart the ninjas from the civilians. But he knew that the clan children would most definitely pass all tests.

….Final Test: Bushin no jutsu...

I flashed the two seals for normal clones and flared a miniscule amount of chakra. Out popped 50 bushin. "You pass," Iruka said in an impassive voice. He had never liked me. I walked over to the table. I then picked up the last hi-atie. The cloth of the head band was white, a strange color for one of the bands in the leaf. Though it was bit symbolic considering the day. The color symbolized my foot falls beginning to step from the shadows, to rise from the darkness. With it tied around my neck, I left. The teams would be announce tomorrow. As I walked through the shadows of the trees outside, I couldn't help but get poetic, "_In these shadows that I tread, wearing the wreath of the dead, I walk away as a wraith, just to rise another day."_

…...Next day...

"Alright," Iruka yelled," time to announce the teams." Iruka then rapidly ran through the teams until he got to team 7. "Team... 7 will consist of Sasuke Uchiha," Iruka announced, building suspense for the fan girls. "Kiba Inuzuka," added secondly, ignoring the glares of all the fan girls in the class. He finished succinctly with, "Sakura Haruno." Many girls groaned except for Hinata Hyuuga an Narumi Namikaze. "Team 8 is Hinata Hyuuga, Narumi Namikaze, and Naruto Namikaze," Iruka said loudly. "Team 10 is Ino Yamanaka, Chouji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara." "Team 11 is Shino Aburame, Goku Mura, and Zaku Rinn." Iruka proudly smiled, "your senseis will be Kakashi(team 7), Kurenai(team 8), Asuma(team 10), and Ebisu(team 11)." Iruka looked around, and for a moment stared at Kakashi's team 7. "They will arrive shortly," and with that Iruka left, leaving the new formed teams to chatter amongst themselves.

10 minutes later and the only teams left sitting in the classroom was my own and team 7. Sakura and Kiba were making small talk while Narumi and Hinata discussed something. I was being bathed in the shadows at the back of the class and Sasuke sat on a window sill. Etched on the young Uchiha member's face was a grim look.

Three years ago when Itachi had died, I had informed Mikoto Uchiha. She in turn later told Fugaku and Sasuke about Itachi's death while leaving out about how he died. Fugaku simply assumed he died on a mission and while sad that his son died, knew it was a part of being a shinobi. Sasuke on the other hand swore vengeance on his brother's murderer and ever since trained relentlessly to become powerful so as to kill his brother's killer. His killer who happened to be me. The most important fact was that only Mikoto and I knew it was me who killed Itachi and that I have a sharingan.

While we waited for our team sensei, something stupid happened. By that I mean Narumi happened. The idiotic girl decided to prank our sensei, who were about an hour late. She cunningly(so not cunningly) placed a chalk dust filled eraser at the top of the door. "As if that would work," Kiba loudly exclaimed. At that very moment after Narumi had placed the eraser, both Kurenai and Kakashi walked in. The eraser plummeted and plonked right onto Kakashi's head. The man, scowled(I think, I mean he is wearing a mask) After he had removed the eraser, he walked further into the room and said in a relaxed manner from beneath his mask, "My first impression of you all is," the others except for me and Kurenai leaned in, "are annoying."

Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura, and Narumi all face planted into a nearby flat surface in disbelief. Hinata looked embarrassed and tapped her tips of her index fingers together, while Kurenai had an eye tic. I assumed I looked as apathetic as ever towards it all. "Well," Kurenai ground out, barely holding her temper," will both the Namikaze's and Hinata Hyuuga follow me." With that said, a few moments later the four of us were on the roof. "So... let's introduce ourselves," Kurenai stated. "You should state your name," Kurenai began, "likes, dislikes, and dreams." she then pointed at Narumi and said, "you start."

"My name is Narumi Namikaze and I like," she was almost bouncing from excitement, "Ramen, my parents, ninjutsu, and my brother." Narumi then frowned, " I dislike the three minute wait for water to boil for Ramen, when my brother won't play with me, and Sasuke-teme because he is mean to everyone. My dream is to become a strong kuinochi and my for my brother to become a strong shinobi!"

I sighed. She always did things like this. She always puts me in her picture. Always trying to include me in her permanent sunshine goggled world. That was one of the many reasons I disliked her. She always had to make a sort movie exclamation. You know, statements like, "I will never fail," or, "I shall love you forever!" All those stupid one-liners. Then after she says them, I am usually affected and not for the better.

"Now you Hinata," Kurenai said kindly. She did so because ever since Hinata had joined the academy, the new jonin had escorted her to school. In doing so, the woman eventually gained a sweet spot for the girl. It also made the naturally red-eyed woman extremely over-protective and touchy about situations that had involved Hinata. It was really quite a silly thing, attachments. With no attachments, one is able to fully reach their power. All one needs is a goal in life to reach. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga," she mumbled. "I like cinnamon rolls, being with my friends, and," the heiress looked pensively at me for a moment. I wondered why. "I dislike mean people, ignorant people, and not living up to my family's standards," she finished. "My dream is to become a strong heiress for my family."

"Alright, your turn gloomy," Kurenai said. "My name is Naruto," I stated and sat back down. The other three were staring at me. "what, do I have something on my mask?," I asked. The reason I said mask was after I gained the sharingan, I had taken to wearing Itachi's fox mask.

"Do you have anything else to say," Narumi asked. "No," I replied simply. "Well then,' Kurenai said slowly. "I am Kurenai Yuuhi. I like genjutsu and tea. I dislike perverts and that creep Asuma. Finally my dream is to be the strongest genjutsu user ever," the genjutsu user finished. "Now let's go to training ground 8 and do this test," the black-haired beauty quipped before standing up and shunshining away. "Wait, test," Narumi exclaimed.

…...Training ground 8...

Two exceedingly ragged looking genin, one slightly disturbed jonin, and an apathetic and no worse for the wear genin stood in a semi-circle. The three pupils of Kurenai, the sempai of team 8, had just took their genin test. But what disturbed Kurenai was not that her new students passed. No, That wasn't it at all. It was merely that her student Naruto had fought her toe-to-toe and hadn't even broken a sweat. A genin with that amount of power was unheard of. Not only did the boy match her in any skill she used, he also surpassed her.

That was a serious blow to her pride, mostly because of the genjutsu aspect of the problem. She had spent her life training in genjutsu and not only had a 12 year old usurped her in skill, he had finished the fight by trapping her in a genjutsu. It was just so degrading. But as she thought about Naruto, another thought struck her. If the boy was so strong, then why was the girl Narumi so weak. Even though the lass had previous training before the academy, she fought as if she was a street brawler with the grace befitting a bull. Then there was Hinata

Her already favored student, something she would never admit, and someone she deeply cared for. During the fight the girl had perfect form and inhuman flexibility. But the girl was so meek, so shy, so unable to want to hurt another person. Another problem the Hyuuga heiress had was she had a massive crush beyond that of rabid fan girls on her other student Naruto. That also reminded her how Narumi was obsessed with her brother. She had heard of some of the tales of her obsession. It was a tad creepy, but who was she to judge. Kurenai groaned internally as another realization hit her. All of her problems lead to Naruto. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. She was left berieved with that fact.

She thought once more of Naruto. How did the boy reach such high strength? What did his face look like? These were a few of her questions. Sadly, and fortunately they would soon be answered.

…..Naruto's P.O.V...

I followed my team to the mission dispensary. My team was going for it's first mission. For two whole weeks Kurenai had tested my team mates and myself. She had declared me a special case with how I had trounced her in her little test. The best part was only she and I knew. My other team mates were knocked out due too Kurenai's genjutsus.

Inside of the building sat a long desk at which the Hokage and a few chunin were seated with various missions for the ninjas of Konoha. Dotted about the room and the rest of the building were Anbu. Of course they were hidden, but for someone of my skill it was easy to spot them. I then refocused my attention to my "father" and glared at him. Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage and full-time tool-bag. My sister was currently squeezing the life out of him and I vindictively wished it would have not been a metaphor. Said man also happened to look over-joyed to see his daughter. I was left unnoticed in the shadows of the room. I could tell Kurenai had noticed but didn't comment on it.

"Alright, alright honey," Minato lightly chided. "Daddy needs to do his job," the Hokage whispered into the excitable girl's ear. I had still heard it. "Team 8, it is now time for your first mission. On request of your sensei, your first mission will a c-rank of which pertains to escorting a bridge builder by the name of Tazuna to Wave country," the yellow flash stated. With that said, a repulsive, aging man with the strong smell of cheap alcohol around him entered.

"These are the brats escorting me," the man yelled, his sight only on the three children ninja in front of him. "They look unfit to escort so much as a bunny."

"I would suggest you be more careful with your words Tazuna-san, else a less forgiving person may take... offense," I whispered into the drunkards ear after having moved extremely fast to stand close to him. Even though I had whispered, the whole room had seem to had heard it. A few minutes later, and we, meaning my team, the drunkard, and myself were on are way to Nami no Kuni.

End Ch. 1. Next ch: Ch 2: A butcher, a scalpel, and a tool.

**AN: Sorry in advance for any mistakes. I literally wrote all of this from 1 am to 9 am. By wrote, I mean typed but whatever. I am extremely tired and you don't care about my problems. Leave a review if you want. Rage all you want, or tell me what I could do better. You got to read a little foreshadowing and saw a little of his insanity. Don't worry, he goes full on bonkers later. Also, this chapter had very little to no comedy. Well, in order for something to be angsty, it either has to be beef or a semi-dark story. That's all.**

**2nd An: Updated to fix errors on May 10th. 3Rd An: Again, edited on May 14.**


	3. Ch 2 A butcher, a scalpel, and a tool

Ch 2: A Butcher, A Scalpel, and A Tool

**Author note: Alright, Hello all. *Super chibi me dancing* I actually got more than one review! It was like twelve, but that's good enough for me(twelve more than I thought I'd get). I would like too address two things. One would be the pairings, which was sorta brought up by Generation Zero. **

** Without mentioning what he said, I shall simply say even I am not sure what it will be. I am stuck between kyuubi and Hinata. I can make both work, it's just lots of people don't like the Hinata pairing because it is over used on this site. With kyuubi, it's more like *me talking to myself*, "How the hell do I get kyuubi outta Naruto's stomach without being cliche or bullshitty."**

** Now to address another thing Mr. or miss zero said was that the kurenai fight was skipped over and how Naruto was stronger than Kurenai and basically called BS. My reasoning for that is simple, a) It's redundant to have two Kurenai fights *wink* b) In canon Naruto before shippuden would use kyuubi to win any important fights (most the time) and shippuden Naruto went from chunin level to fighting Madara and not dieing. This is canon, dumb as bolts, believes in friendship Naruto. My Naruto is a genius, was trained by Itachi(a genjutsu master) for effectively three years, and isn't brain dead, 'Nuff said. Last thing, a few of the comments (cough Rickjames196 cough; thanks for the awesome comment) said something about Narumi not being mean. That is 100% true. But Naruto's mental state is basically abused and lonely child who is hated, has killed his only friend who is male, is constantly reminded by it with his left eye, and is ignored to extreme measures by his parents. I also stated, Narumi was a bitch when he was younger, well... as much as any little girl can be. As a child, Naruto was blamed for all of Narumi's wrong doings which even geniuses can act childish when they are four, Narumi always got her way, and Narumi would lie and get Naruto in trouble. Now this AN is too long but oh well, have a nice read.**

"Hello" normal talking

"_Time to die" mental thoughts_

"**I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra**

"_**I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c **_

I grunted as I dodged the slice of an oversized butcher knife that was being swung by a prick. About 15 yards away Kurenai and my two team mates were caught in a fight with a Hyoton user by the name of Haku. The genjutsu jonin kept attempting to come to my aid but was instead forced to protect her two students who weren't quite as powerful as myself, or her. But you are probably confused(shh secret An: everyone knows this is wave). Hn, let me start a bit earlier then.

We, my team and I, were traveling to Tazuna's home country, Nami-no-Kuni. We had been traveling for a few hours, aka civilian who is old speed, and everybody except for me was relaxed(well for Kurenai, as much as you can be relaxed as a battle experienced shinobi).

That was when I spotted the puddle. The god-damned stupid puddle that mucked up everything. How, you ask, How can a little pool of water be such a nuisance? Well, I'll tell you. As we passed by the twice-damned puddle, the two chunin I had sensed in it showed themselves. Then in a surprisingly well laid trap, the two demon brothers, as I could now identify them, trapped Kurenai(she had let it happen, I assumed, for a chance to see my team fight and step in if necessary). I, stupidly, reacted on instinct. With that said, I dashed forward and nailing one of the brothers with a kunai in the shoulder. I then flicked a few shuriken at the other ex-kiri ninja while he was distracted by my sudden response. With one of the brothers dodging shuriken, the one I had stabbed, who was just now beginning to react to my attack, got to watch me send a jab which in turn knocked his head back. With his head reeling, I dropped kicked my foe and the missing-nin was sent flying and slammed against a tree with a sickening crunch.

The last demon brother threw a wild lunge at my blind spot, mad with rage. I parried it easily and stabbed him through his chest and effectively ending his life. That was also when I heard a stifled gasp. "_Oh damn,"_ was my thought. I already knew this wasn't going to end well. I turned around and there was my team, Kurenai and all, staring at me in unadulterated horror. Hinata and Narumi looked disgusted by the dead people, but strangely(in Hinata's case) concerned for me. Tazuna looked positively nervous and was currently freaking out, and Kurenai looked surprised.

I calmly, at least outwardly, shoved the dead chunin off my blade and cleaned it in the grass. The reason I wiped it off was because there was no point in having a dirty blade. I then walked over to my group. "WHAT WAS THAT," Narumi screeched! "That was me stopping two chunin from brutally murdering Tazuna-san," I replied simply. I had put two and two together and deduced that these Kiri-nin had no need for Kurenai, myself, or Narumi. That deduction was easily ascertained due too the fact that Kurenai was just a jonin, relatively new, and most likely wouldn't have a massive bounty like the Copycat Ninja Hatake or the Tailless biju Hoshigaki. The reason it couldn't be me or Narumi was because even though I and Narumi were the children of the Yondaime Hokage, we were both unknown for two reasons. One was because the fourth had kept it a secret that he had a wife until just after the kyuubi fiasco. Since Narumi and I were both born on the Kyuubi attack, making us twins and myself older by a minute, all of the other villages therefore in turn heard only of the Kyuubi attack and not my sibling's birth or mine. Secondly, the only village with known biju containers is Kumogakure with Killer Bee and Yugito. Those two containers also have very high bounties in the international bingo book. This left two options, Hinata or Tazuna. It was also made ever so clear it wasn't Hinata, because all throughout the nations everyone had heard of the blood-line civil war happening in the country of Kiri. Plus even though these two Kiri-nin were missing-nin they had no reason to be after bloodline clans of other villages. This left Tazuna, A man from the land of Nami-no-Kuni and also our client who had paid for protection.

"

But...but... YOU KILLED THEM!" Narumi screamed.

"Yes, I did," I once again stated smoothly. I really didn't understand her problem. "Maybe you don't understand," Narumi yelled.

"But you KILLED them, k-i-l-l-e-d, as in they no longer breath, live, do anything!" "I think I understand now," I stated.

"You are freaked out by death, completely illogical by dianoetic standards, but completely understandable. But Narumi, you know that as a ninja you are required to fight opposing forces and possibly terminate them, right?" (Definition for Dianoetic: of or pertaining to thought; Basically I meant thought standards, or moral standards)

"Yes-s-s... but, but," Narumi stuttered, struggling to find a counter argument that wasn't completely filled with morals in a moral-less job.

"But nothing," I chided. "Look at those despicable men," I murmured, "they would sooner have killed you then look at you. So deal with it," I declared with finality.

"Alright, quiet now, we need to figure out what to do now," Kurenai said. She spoke once more, "Tazuna-san, you would be better off if you explained for we shinobi have very short tempers-," I butted into her spiel, "Much like your life-span, now explain." I then flared my KI (or killing intent) solely at the elder for good measure, not just because I was annoyed that the man got me into this situation.

Of course when any ninja flares their KI and are generally above chunin, it actually can do something towards a ninja. This is simply because genin usually aren't powerful enough to wield their aura or simply have a weak presence, but even a genin's KI is powerful enough to effect civilians.

My KI happened to be slightly more powerful than a jonin's, when I am not trying. This could be because I'm powerful or because I have a massive biju demon in my gut known for killing people with her KI alone, and these people who she killed with it weren't just civilians but chunins and jonins. To finish this long tangent, the man basically defecated himself.

After a slight chuckle at his reaction, the old builder went on to explain how Gato, who was an extremely wealthy midget of a man(no offense to midgets, and if you're offended well too bad), had taken control of his country and had forced the whole nation into poverty. With no money to speak of, all the bridge architect could do was scrounge up what little savings he had left and acquisition a c-rank mission.

"I see your problem Tazuna," after several minutes of mulling over the recently revealed information. "But seeing as how you lied to me," Tazuna winced, "endangered my genin, and generally piss off everyone," Tazuna seemed to be figuratively hanging off a frayed rope over a cobra pit, if I had correctly read his visage, "I see no other option except..." the old fart looked prepared to die, hanging on to every word, "that we continue to accompany you as well as protect you from Gato and his cohorts." Tazuna's eyebrows rose so high on his forehead, they disappeared into his hairline. "REALLY," the man exclaimed! "Yes, but don't hug me." Everyone on team eight agreed with that sentiment.

After that the drama calmed down and we journeyed on trekking into the misty land that is Kiri towards wave. After monotonous hours of silent travel, Narumi decided she needed to converse with me. I needed her to go die in a hole. We don't always get what we want. "Naruto-kun," she said questioningly. "Yes," was my soft reply. "It's just... you've killed now," she spoke sadly. This threw me for a small loop. I don't think I have ever seen Narumi sad... ever. I almost choked though as she spoke, flashing back to my real first kill.

The event, though scaring, had actually blown over quite well for the rest of the village. After I had killed my brother, or at least the closest thing to it and told Mikoto, she had in turn told the rest of the clan. The week after that at the Uchiha clan was extremely tense, tense enough for the whole village to notice. This lead to several investigations and eventually a plot of a coupe came to be known.

Apparently in Itachi Uchiha's quarters, plans of obtaining Shisui Uchiha's eyes and obtaining the eternal mangekyo sharingan were found. Once he had obtained the eyes, he would have used them to control his clan brethren and enact the coupe. The main investigator of the mysterious death of a powerful Konaha shinobi and subsequent search of the Uchiha grounds was Danzo Shimura who later on once the investigation had closed had assured the Hokage of the village's safety who in turn informed the village. With my own self living in the Hokage mansion, I was able to gain such details.

But back to the present, Narumi forged on, "You have blood on your hands, don't you feel anything." I quickly interrupted her spiel before she could blither on about her petty morals.

"Let me tell you the truth of the matter, Narumi," I said slowly to get my point across. "We are ninja, do you understand this."

Narumi's face became a vivid shade of red. "Yes, I know that we're ninja," was her indignant reply.

"I don't think you do, Narumi. Ninjas kill, they are assassins, beings of the shadows. Long before the era of chakra powered ninjas, there was the true shinobi. Normal men and women who were never caught and eliminated their target without ever being seen. We are simply supposed to be more powerful versions of those ancestors of ours. We may have lost a lot of ground in stealth, but we are still assassins, we still kill and will continue to kill. My emotions on the subject do not matter, because shinobi are warriors, fighters, and above all killers, and emotional killers are dead killers. So when you ask me about how I shouldn't have killed those men or how I should feel something, be emotionally scarred because of what I had to do than remember. If I hadn't killed them then you, Tazuna, Hinata, and Kurenai might be dead."

…...Konoha Minato's view, third person omniscient...

Minato sighed. He truly missed his daughter. It was in fact only about a month from her birthday and Minato had something big planned. He had been planning it for awhile. SLAM! His office was singing from the noise of his office door slamming open. In marched Mikoto Uchiha, several fearful secretaries glancing in, their hair harried and expressions sorry.

The black-haired woman's hair was a rat's nest, eyes blood shot, In her hands was clutched papers and a painting. The room took the slightest of a red tinge, the outside of the window suddenly losing focus.

"Minato Namikaze, I have a bone to pick with you!" The woman was obviously drunk off her rocker with the way she had stumbled in, a few sake bottles trailing after her. "Are you aware you have a son," the woman slurred.

Minato raised a brow confused. "Yes," he said tentatively. "Do you know what he likes, what he dislikes, anything about him at all!" The woman's face was caught in a condemning sneer. Minato thought about it. And thought. And thought.

"_Nothing,"_ is what came to mind. Absolutely and positively not a single facet of information on his son. His own flesh and blood a seeming ghost in his memory with not a single fact to be known.

"I don't!" was Minato's distraught reply, his face contorted in disbelief. It was simply dumbfounding that he knew literally knowing about his child. This was augmented by the fact that he knew everything about Narumi. Minato felt ever so much like an ass right now.

Mikoto wobbled forward, papers and painting in tow. Her legs were unsteady as she moved closer to Minato's desk, the man in question further sinking into his chair. The woman slammed down the objects in her hands directly in front of Minato, her glare seemingly saying look if you dare.

The painting in front of him, which was also on top of the other drawings Minato saw Mikoto put on his desk, was a vivid drawing of nature. It showed his son Naruto wearing his usual attire he assumed, for he didn't know, stepping from the shadows of a great elm that rested atop the first Hokage's head on the Hokage monument. Minato knew for fact that such a tree did exist in that very spot. Half his son's body was being bathed in dark tones. Blues, grays, blacks, greens, and purples. A myriad of shadowing colors. The other half of the boy's body was drenched in bright airy colors. Reds, yellows, oranges, pinks and whites. It was a plethora of bubbly bright tones. All the colors came together beautifully to form a masterpiece.

But the virtuoso of the painting was not what drew his attention. It was the fact that his Hokage hat was grasped in Naruto's right hand in the light side of the painting. That in itself wasn't the peculiar part. The disturbing part was that his hat was on fire! Why would his son draw this? This question particularly plagued him.

"Look at the papers," Mikoto suddenly ordered.

Minato trepidly lifted the papers. Most showed some form of Naruto being hidden in the shadows of buildings and objects. A few were even people though the people in question weren't fully drawn in. Overall, the pencil sketches weren't all that strange. A few of the newer drafts Minato decided to label them showed Naruto with his team. There was few of the drawings from the entire pile that in particular that caught his eye. It was very well drawn for the fact that if nothing else it clearly got the point of the drawing across.

In reality the drawing was quite crude looking, but once more, it was easy to interpret. It showed two tall figures, one with red hair and the other with yellow. In-between the two tall figures he assumed was himself and his wife, Kushina, was a smaller figure with red hair. Going with his previous thought process, Minato assumed the small red head was Narumi. The three figures standing together had gargantuan smiles. Off to the side was Naruto, a frown clear on his face. He was walking away from the trio. The date signed on was eight years ago, when Naruto was five.

"What is all this, Mikoto," Minato asked.

"This is," Mikoto got closer, leaning heavily on Minato's desk, "what you've done to your son. What this whole village has done to your son." "But... but... HOW! WHY?," Minato shouted!

"You were so focused, so intent on, so in LOVE with your daughter and her hero stature in your CITIZEN'S eyes. You cared nothing for your son, nor for his development. You wouldn't listen to his pleas for love and companionship, for a family, for a father and a mother who cared for him. You abandoned him in his time of need and now he holds no love for you or Konaha." Mikoto was absolutely livid, the woman's presence murderous.

"Do you know why he stays, well do you?," Mikoto asked angrily, her face inches from Minato. The strong smell of alcohol found it's way deep into Minato's nose. "No," Mikoto thundered rhetorically, "Well, I'll tell you. He stays to prove he is strong, that he is better," Mikoto suddenly looked smug, "And he is."

"But I still don't understand how this happened, why I never noticed, why my village would do this to a child, why I would do this to a child, to my child."

"You will in time, now Minato I need you to do something," Mikoto seemed to have become quiet, less corporeal. "What?," Minato asked. "Wake up!"

…...Konoha...Minato's bedroom...

Minato threw himself out of his bed. He glared around wildly, one of his special kunai in his right hand. A sigh escaped his mouth as he recognized his bedroom. It was two o'clock in the morning and his wife snored on in bed spread out over Minato's now vacant spot form the mattress. These dreams had been plaguing him lately.

Ever since his daughter had gone on a c-rank to wave he had been dreaming of his son, and the dreams were not pleasant. Sometimes Mikoto would speak to him. Others Narumi. Hell, once it was even Itachi Uchiha. But mostly it was Naruto himself telling him of what he had done to him. Of all these faults and agonies that had been placed on him and that he, Minato himself, was one of the main causes.

Though the strange part was, the dreams had only gotten so vivid a few days ago. Before it was merely indeterminable voices and flashes of faces yelling at him to save his son or hateful comments directed towards Naruto and himself.

Now though, he had finally had enough. He was going to get to the bottom of the nightmares. But first he needed to see something, he needed to see his son's room. Minato passed slowly down the hallway towards his destination. A left, a right, then another left and... there was the room.

Right then Minato felt puny, almost like he was standing in front of Gamabunta. He tentatively slid open the door and entered the small area that was Naruto's living space. The room was pitiful in both size and condition. The room itself was little more than a glorified closet. In a corner was a minuscule roll away cot with a few springs poking out of the mattress. Minato had bought it while planning on getting a real bed for his son. Minato had also planned on getting the house expanded because there was only three bedrooms, this room that Naruto dwelled in being a space for a study.

Back to the cot though, Minato remembered buying the thing a decade ago for Naruto. Naruto was twelve now, which meant he had been using this cheap bed as his resting place since he was a two year old. The thought sickened him because not only was that a long time but the only reason he remembered buying the stupid bed and his son's age was because Naruto and Narumi were twins and he had bought a similar cot for Narumi before he had got her a real bed.

In a different corner of the room was an equally aged desk, of which was being crushed by the oppressive weight of the large amount of paintings and drawings on it. The closet he could see was without a door and held only three full outfits. One of the three was a ratty formal male yukata that looked several sizes too small for a 12 year old of Naruto's size. The second one was an eye killing orange and blue jumpsuit with a hole in the chest area and blood around it. Minato assumed the jumpsuit was some sort of costume. The third and final outfit was a pair of black shinobi pants and matching black shinobi shirt. Over the shirt was a black vest that reminded him of the anbu chest-plates with the dull black armor attached to areas of it, mostly the pectoral region and sides and back. The final piece was a porcelain mask that resembled a weasel with a triangle mark on the forehead, Minato struggled to figure out where he remembered the mask.

Finally after dismissing the mask, Minato turned to his son's many paintings. Every painting was framed in some cheap wood, and dated Minato noted as he perused. The dates started from when Naruto was a young child to just a month ago. Minato picked up the one from the bottom after moving a great deal of the paintings. Minato also carefully noted how the paintings were before to make sure he placed them back correctly. The picture he had picked up was the same one from his dream of Naruto walking away from Kushina and himself. But there was more near the bottom that wasn't in the dream. Even with it's age he could read it's delicate print.

It read, "In these shadows of my dread, belonging to a family to whom I am almost dead, I have finally decided to step from the shadows." Surprisingly poetic...and dark. Especially from a five year old. The Minato picked up the next and studied it's lines, it's message. And then the next. And then another. One after the other Minato studied the drawings, each time his gaze centered on a new one Minato felt like a kunai was stabbed into his heart.

Hours passed as Minato glanced at each and every single painting. With every look Minato wondered how he could have dealt such a horrible fate onto his son. Each painting after the other only cemented the fact that he had estranged his son from his own family. That he, Minato, had failed him. Most importantly, he had broken his son and what was left he truly didn't know. But that wasn't what scared him, for Minato knew he deserved whatever punishment fate would deal him, No it was if he could ever save his son from the darkness he had shoved the boy in.

….Wave country: Tazuna's home...Naruto's P.O.V...

I sighed. I had been sighing a lot lately actually. After an explosive fight against Zabuza Momochi, Kurenai was left with a severely injured leg and my own self carrying my sensei to Tazuna's home. The fight between the two jonins aggravated me to no end because I knew Kurenai could have won. It was just that Narumi and Hinata was in the way. She had spent more time covering my two teammates then Tazuna or herself.

…...Kurenai P.O.V... Zabuza fight...

I ducked and backpedaled as Zabuza flung his massive sword around like a toothpick. The man had almost cleaved me in half several times, and every time I had almost been able to counter-attack or unleash my own assault when my genin were targeted by the Kiri-nin. I grunted as I flew through one of my more powerful genjutsus but before I could finish Zabuza was flying toward Hinata.

I chased the tall swordsmen and threw several dozen kunai. The man refocused on me and Hinata, Narumi, and Tazuna visibly relaxed as the KI directed towards them was drawn away. I couldn't do a thing though about this damn fight and it made me so angry. So rather than being calmed by my team and client's terror being quelled, it mad me feel horrible. At the beginning of the fight Zabuza had blown away Naruto with a water dragon and I no longer knew where he was though I was sure he was fine. That boy had seemed like he had been sent flying by one of my jutsu during my genin test for my team when in actuality the boy had kawarimi'd away to a hiding spot. What he had switched with I didn't know but whatever it was it had left no trace.

But regardless of the agony of the moment I needed to beat the bastard in front of me. I trailed several hand signs before releasing a fire ball barrage and charged the sword wielder with a kunai. Before I could raise the blade in my hand, Zabuza was gone and then I felt a crippling pain in my leg and collapsed. Above me stood Zabuza blade already falling to end my life.

I closed my hands and laid there waiting for the end. After several seconds of silence and heavy breathing I opened them to see Naruto above me in a strange crab-like walk except he wasn't using his arms to hold himself up at the awkward angle he was at. Instead his hand were on either side of the massive carving knife in Zabuza's hands holding the blade perfectly still above him less than a centimeter from Naruto's face.

Abruptly Naruto yelled, "move Kurenai," and I rolled away. Naruto then as soon as he saw me get clear let his legs release their now obvious chakra grip and the ground and Zabuza's strength forced Naruto straight into the ground. But instead of Naruto being bisected, he just plunged into the ground like it wasn't there. Yet Zabuza's blade stuck into it like the solid that it was. Then, less than a second later Zabuza whirled around only to get kicked in the back of the head from the direction he had been originally facing. As Zabuza face planted, Naruto took off at a sprint and plucked me from my lieing position on the ground and started hauling ass away from the fight.

Without looking backwards Naruto summoned several clones and ran by Tazuna and the rest of my team, who seeing Naruto running, chased after him, the two girls working together to pick up Tazuna so they could run faster. After a few minutes I felt my consciousness fading due to bloodloss and my last sight was Naruto's grim mask, snarling in annoyance, the slits for the eyes showing two blue eyes staring ahead in determination.

…...Tazuna's house... Naruto P.O.V...Warning: extreme fluff...

After our less than stellar get away, we had managed to reach Tazuna's house. However that wasn't what was on my mind. It was the near uselessness of my teammates. The whole fight Narumi had been scared out of her wits, which lead to her doing nothing. Hinata on the other hand pissed me off far more. She had a chance to strike Zabuza before he had struck Kurenai's leg and possibly save her from the wound. Yet, for whatever reason she didn't take it.

It just completely stumped me. The girl herself was almost a genius, if not naturally than from hard work. She had almost a complete mastery of her taijutsu style and flexibility to make it that more effective. But for whatever reason, she completely and utterly lacked the will to fight even when her comrades are being attacked.

After settling into Tazuna's home, due to the lack of rooms, Kurenai and Narumi got a room to share and I got stuck with the Hyuuga princess. I, myself, actually didn't really dislike the girl. But the girl seemed to have inherited an inherent fear of me. She always had trouble speaking around me and sometimes get an extremely red face.

It was just frustrating. How could I fix the team if the problem couldn't speak to me. It seemed tonight would be a blessing and a curse. I being the gentleman that I am, and also not particularly feeling safe in such a comfortable bed, gave the bed to Hinata and elected to sleep in the closet. Of course I didn't tell her about the closet part. At the moment the Hyuuga was sitting on the edge of the bed fiddling with her fingers.

"Hinata," I said softly and kindly. You must be thinking, "Kindly? WTF!" Well, just because I am an emotionally and socially stunted boy doesn't mean I hadn't read a book on speaking to someone to get information. The book had denoted that yelling at someone only really works in interrogations. "Yes, N-N-Naruto-kun," Hinata replied in a stutter. Now that was something that bothered me. It was so disturbingly, maddeningly cute.

For sure now you're going, "What the hell! This is so not dark! This is not like the Naruto this story has portrayed so far. WTF. WTF."

Well, me too. I had no idea why I like stutters, I just did.(Totally not there for plot convenience. Also, yay for breaking fourth wall) So I just rolled with it. Well, rolled as much as a square can. Again, socially stunted.

"I need to speak with you," I replied. "What about," the Hyuuga heir seemed to whisper back. There was the slightest tinge of red peppering her nose and cheeks. I wondered about it for a moment.

This lead to me studying her face. Perfectly symmetrical. Small, pouty lips that probably looked wonderful when she smiled. A lively, warm, alabaster colored skin. A strange combination but true nonetheless. Two soothing lavender eyes. Their strange color just seemed to add to the mysticism of them. It also added to her beauty. I could stare at them for hours.

_ "WHAT THE HELL!" _I mentally screamed. _"I was tired, sleep deprived. Had to be it, I couldn't have been freaking bogotifying over Hinata Hyuuga. I don't need attachments!"_I repeated the last part as a mantra.

"It was just about today," I started. "W-w-what about t-today," she questioned though I could see a suspicion on her wonderful face. ARGH! I don't need attachments, love, friendship, human contact. It's all worthless and will only hold me back. It would just mess with my head. I must control my emotions, my subconscious want and craving of anyone to love me for I don't need. It's just a sad crutch for weak people who aren't me. "It's about how you froze up when you could have helped Kurenai." "Oh," she murmured.

"I need to know Hinata, that if we are in a fight that you will fight," I said. Hinata went stark white at the proclamation. Then her face turned tomato red in what I assumed either embarrassment or an allergic reaction. I believe it was the former. Then, all of sudden she was shedding tears into my chest.

I flinched but was able to control myself at the contact. I was at a lost. Having no real actual experience with girls or any females of my age or older/younger except with Mikoto, after I of course I killed Itachi, wasn't exactly helping me react to this situation. I sat stock still as Hinata sobbed into my chest. I wondered where all these tears were coming from, knowing the obviously logical answer being from her tear ducts but my question being more figurative in it's form. It was just baffling for me.

Soon Hinata stopped sobbing and fell asleep, her arms gripping me in a death brace. Then I just awkwardly sat there for a few minutes wondering how in the hell I could get off the bed I was sitting on with Hinata gripping my torso. Before I could do anything of course, Hinata decided for me, pulling me in her sleep further onto the bed to get a better grip and with that the two of his were lying side by side in the bed, Hinata nearly on top of me as she slept. I struggled for a moment to stop my flash backs of a fat man from a mob long ago who had sat on me, slapping my face with his fat chubby hands before standing up and kicking me and leaving my crushed body in the ally way broken and gasping for air. As soon as I could control my memories I tried to sleep and eventually succeeded.

The next day I had managed to kawarimi with a pillow and stalked outside to blow up trees. It was 6 am when I left. Two hours later, a destroyed forest, and a happy me was very apparent. The day went on with Kurenai recuperating at Tazuna's house, Narumi fluttering over her in worry. I spent the day over-watching Tazuna constructing the bridge with his workers. Hinata would go between myself and Tazuna's house every few hours to inform the other of the happenings there and then stay at her new post and then repeating in reverse. I, deciding to be helpful, summoned 50 clones and had them help Tazuna. With my clones doing the grunt work of heavy lifting and transporting goods the workload was visibly easier for the citizens of wave. As I lazed around watching my clones and Tazuna scurry about, I thought hopefully that the bridge would be finished before Zabuza showed up again.

The days went by and with my knowledge of iryo-jutsu(medical jutsu), Kurenai healed at an exponential rate. Instead of six months of recovery time with however many months of rehabilitation due to muscle loss that would occur from being bed-ridden, it would only take a week. Kurenai decided in the meanwhile that Narumi and Hinata needed to train so she had them practice chakra control and a few simple genjutsu. Hinata quickly mastered tree-walking and went on to work on the few jutsus that Kurenai had parted with. Narumi on the other hand didn't even get to the genjutsu, to busy climbing trees with her feet and chakra. Then the week ended and the day came where Kurenai finally was healed enough to properly fight and move. This is where you found me. Fighting a prick with his over sized blade and the rest of my team against said prick's tool. I had a funny thought of the Hyoton user Haku being a scalpel and my team flesh. Morbid, but funny. I jumped out of the way of an overhead strike and threw three skuriken. Zabuza deflected them and charged again. I knew I could easily beat him if I went all out but it would hurt my teammates. So I held back of course. Damn budding conscience.

It was also infuriating with how good the swordsman could dodge. Every one of my attacks, all missed. I also couldn't get close for some taijutsu because his sword would cleave me into cute little Naruto chunks. That left me only three viable options. I didn't even want to think about my plan B because it was gross. It involved seven chicken-clones, a roll of ninja wire, and tap dancing. So, I wasn't going to use it unless necessary.

But to remain on topic, the three options were Fuuinjutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu. Can you guess what I chose? Did I say to hell with it and blew crap up with ninjutsu? Did I act all sneaky sneak and used genjutsu? Or did I use some super technical, really drawn out plan that required brain power with fuuinjutsu? Did you guess all three! Well, bravo.

I charged forward towards Zabuza, weaving a genjutsu that simply made me look like I was a few inches away from my real position to my right. I put multiple seals on my kunai by tapping them and grinned as the complicated runes spread over them before minimizing to small dots and tossed them at Zabuza. The demon blocked them with his blade and the knifes seemed to land in random spots around the man. I bellowed out the jutsu name, "Suiton: Water spear," but instead did a completely different jutsu. I used a katon jutsu called, "Katon: fire beast." This is where the genjutsu came into play again. It made the katon jutsu look like the suiton jutsu. Complicated, yes, fun, yes. The unexpected jutsu would allow me to use the seals I attached to the kunai littering around Zabuza.

With not a second glance towards Zabuza I activated my fuuinjutsu trap. The individual seals on each kunai take a small portion of chakra. By themselves they wouldn't really affect a jonin or even a chunin, but a dozen or so constantly taking chakra, even a kage would run dry. Zabuza was also no kage.

So with Zabuza reacting to a jutsu that wasn't coming and a large sudden chakra amount decrease, well... lets just say a very crispy swordsman was on the ground smoking and dead. A sad and quick death, not very memorable or special but realistic. I then turned to see how Kurenai and the others were faring against the ice user. My view was that of Hinata and Narumi on the ground, neither of their chests were moving.

A sudden all encompassing rage filled me. A blindingly hot, needling rage that was unstoppable. Blind fury clouded my vision. All I saw was my target and her inevitable death. With a large, "Throosh," of air, I blasted towards Haku. From my peripherals I saw red bubbly chakra surrounding my skin. The chakra did a wicked dance all around me, trying to what looked like the chakra attempting too devour the space it touched. It tried to suck the power out of the air in a way. Within less than a second I had crossed the area between my hand and the girl's heart. The last thing she saw was my two eyes glaring from behind a snarling kitsune mask. One pale cerulean, the other a blood red sharingan with three tomoe spinning. The left eye's tomoe seemed to be attempting to change but something held them back, an invisible force. With so much hatred clouding my judgment, the jutsu on my left eye had failed.

I took great satisfaction in the girl's death, feeling a release from my anger. It also told me that my lack of control over my chakra allowed my mask to fall from my face as the kyuubi chakra receded. The mask clattered uselessly on the ground while I turned my face to look at Kurenai, the only other conscious person on the bridge. The genjutsu mistress stared in fascination and alarm at my face. I simply stood there, my arm still lodged in Haku's chest, the girl's head lolling forward as blood trickled from her mouth. Kurenai's mouth continued to stare her mouth open as if to say something, but no words came forth. Just a choked intake of oxygen.

For a moment I entertained the thought of whether I could kill her so as not to expose my secret and get away with it. I abruptly squashed the notion. The woman in question suddenly stalked forward, a hand stretching out. She crossed the few feet of of distance between us and ran her smooth, long fingers over the scar that adorned my eye. She held her hand against my face as if reading the story of the wound and the eye. She then stepped back, grabbed my mask, picked it up and placed it on my face. She then ran over to Hinata and Narumi. I could see now with my medical expertise that my judgment wasn't obscured by rage that Haku had only put both of the girls in death-like trances.

I sighed again. It seemed sighing was becoming my habit. As Kurenai overlooked the two injured kuinochi I reflected over the feelings I held when I thought Hinata and Narumi died. It was extremely scary. It wasn't because I thought Narumi had died that my emotions had become so powerful.

That actually brought me elation. No, it was when I had thought Hinata had died. Why had her fake death affected me so? To that question I would need to reflect more. But one thing was certain. No matter how much I wished to deny it, I Naruto uzumaki had gained something I had thought I would never have again. I had gained an attachment to Hinata Hyuuga.

END CH. 2 Next CH. "Two scorned make a rose's thorn and beauty"

** AN: Next chapter is Kurenai and Naruto's fight. Sorry for the long wait. Couldn't work on the story because I had schooling during the week days. Hope this makes up for it. Lot of stuff happening, Naruto and Hinata precursor but just because it's there doesn't mean this story is naruhina. Also, leave a review on my horrible writing abilities. Sorry in advance for mistakes. I will try to update every weekend. Yell at me if I don't.**

**Second An: edited for mistakes on may 10th. 3Rd AN: More editing**


	4. Ch 3 In the jungle, the mighty jungle

CH: 3 In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle

**Author Note: So guess who's back. That's right, a Canadian bacon salesman. Just kidding, I love Canada. I mean amazing hockey and Niagara falls, 'nuff said. A few things to address, most of which involve either Naruto killing/leaving Konoha, the pairing of the story, and the one thing I was hoping people would comment on which is Naruto's parents or more specifically Minato. **

** First of all, Naruto is almost guaranteed(though there is a slight possibility for him to leave) to stay in the leaf simply because where would he go. Iwa, not possible because of the whole absolutely hate Konoha and the fourth Hokage thing. Kumo, I feel like that place is already overpowered with the fact they live on mountains with two jinchuuriki who can fully control their biju and have a kage who is almost as fast as the yondaime; that and the fact that Kumo is a jerk. They have tried to steal bloodlines and are generally war-mongering. Kiri and Suna are out for nearly the same reasons, either involving jerkiness or transgressions that they pulled off towards Konoha.  
That leaves only all the smaller villages. If I chose the smaller villages, that would just lead to that village suddenly being as strong as the big five. If I had Naruto go solo it would just be Sasuke all over again without a village and if I had him join akatsuki it would be awkward. Second part, if I had Naruto kill his family he would ultimately be destroyed by either his father or the rest of the village. Second subject would be the pairing, I am pretty much set on kyuubi or Hinata but I'll set up a POLL. Three, how did Minato get the dreams and why isn't Kushina feeling regret or getting the dreams. **

** Well, you'll see. It's pretty cool how I set up the dream thing if I do say so my self. With Kushina, well that's coming. Also, prepare for some kyuubi time and bullshit power up because I need it to progress the story line. On with the story. **

** Also, HERE COMES NARUTO'S KURENAI FIGHT. Just pointing it out.**

**Ps: It took Naruto's team a week to get to wave, and a week for Kurenai to heal. After all that it took only a day or two for Naruto and his team to return to Konoha. So to explain this, the timeline is four weeks before Naruto fought and killed Zabuza, two weeks before the mission was received. **

**Secon Ps: I no longer will do the Hinata stutter cuz I am lazy.**

"Hello" normal talking

"_Time to die" mental thoughts_

"**I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra**

"**_I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c _**

…..Four weeks earlier before Wave mission... Day after genin test...

…..September 02, unknown year in my Naruto-verse...

After the genin test Kurenai had put us through she stated we were going to train for two weeks so as to completely skip d-rank missions. She also told us that she had enlisted some, "friends," to help in this little endeavor. All I knew was that her creepy expression while she said this and the evil eye glare she was sending my way was not going to be good for me or my health. A few minutes of silence and awkward staring then commenced as Kurenai continued her evil stare at the three of us.

Then after the boring wait time a large puff of white smoke appeared. I, being startled from the sudden explosion of smoke, flicked a kunai out of my sleeve and rolled backwards a dozen feet away. Regaining my feet from my impromptu roll, I positioned my self in a loose battle stance watching the smoke curl in the air wearily. I nearly dropped my kunai from the sight in front of me.

Three new kuinochi stood proudly in a triangle. My two teammates were both completely trussed up in ninja wire, looking disoriented. Kurenai was standing behind the five kuinochi, three grown-up and not tied together and the other two still growing and tied together, looking smug. Noting all the new possible combatants that my sensei had enlisted were at least jonin, I gulped.

I may be strong, but I'm not stupid. Four jonin ranked women, one of which who holds a grudge most likely from yesterdays rather fun fight. My sensei was a master of genjutsu but Itachi was better and a lot more sneakier with his application of the tricks, and was the only reason I did better against Kurenai. I knew how the woman worked because of my genjutsu knowledge and theory from Itachi. But three other jonin, skills unknown and filling the air with their animosity toward me because of whatever reason they had was enough to make me take another step back or five.

"Great," I thought, "this is going to go well for me." I then, the master of deducing the obvious noticed I was the only male in the vicinity. I however was clouded by lust and other frivolous teen emotions like other males of my age. If that wasn't a bad sign for me then I didn't know what was. I just wasn't looking forward to getting my ass whupped by angry women.

I sighed, "This is gonna be a long day," I muttered. Turns out, I underestimated the situation.

"Hello Ku-chan," a loud, buxom endowed purplenette screamed. The woman who had screamed seemed to float around on her toes in her skimpy outfit which consisted of fishing net, a bra, a short skirt, and a trench coat, with a chilling grin plastered on her face.

"The great and sexy Anko-chan as well as the two equally magnificent and beautiful mistresses of Konoha," she paused to breath, "Hana Inuzuka and Yugao Uzuki are at your service." In accompaniment of her short spiel, two small fireworks and a banner that had Anko Mitarashi crossed out and under the crossed out words was painted on Mistresses of Konoha behind the three kuinochi. With Anko's words thrown silence took over the field with my teammates coherent enough to cower and a whimper noise filling the absence of sound in the air. I didn't even know I could whimper.

Of course, with my amazing luck the noise caught the attention of the three women and Kurenai and their eyes turned toward me. At that moment I wished I could use Hirashien. "So," Hana barked, "these are your cute little brats you asked us to train for the next two weeks in the forest of death."

The forest of death didn't sound very appealing at all. I didn't even try to hide my disparity at the notion and started backing away. "Heh, it looks like," Yugao drawled, "the lone male is scared of some little harmless kuinochi; by the way Ku-chan who is he?"

"He is my student of course, Naruto," the red-eyed woman proclaimed. "Oh, so this is the male heir of the Namikaze family," Anko blurted. The devious look that overtook the woman's face after that added another step to my large amount of steps away from the group.

"Alright, alright, stop scaring my pupils, it's time to explain the training exercise we are about to torture- I mean put them through. The regime of training will last for approximately two weeks. During the exercise the three of you will be running for your life and surviving," Kurenai pointed said to my cohorts and I. "What do you mean by running for our lives," Hinata questioned, to scared to stutter. "Oh, just that the four of us," Kurenai's hand panned towards herself and the other three jonin, "are going to hunt you for the next two weeks inside training ground forty-four."

"And," the Uzuki woman added, "is pretty much Anko's backyard."

"Also," Kurenai piped up, "If we hit you with a 'killing' blow, which of course we aren't really going to kill you, you officially lose and then have to help us find whoever is left. If everyone is caught, we restart and repeat until the two weeks are over. There is also no leaving the grounds nor quitting. It also starts as soon as we enter the training ground."

I was already running because I was the only one left. What do I mean? Well, this was all explained in aforementioned training ground and both my teammates had already been captured when our hunters had showed up. As I dashed into the underbrush away from the kuinochi I groaned. This just had to be my day. By myself in an evil forest being chased by sadistic women with pointy things. Fun.

Soon I sensed someone pursuing me, and I peered behind me only to see to my own surprise none other than Hinata. She was being chased by Hana who seemed to be growling in anticipation as she chased my Hyuuga comrade. I whirled around in mid-air, hurled a skunk bomb into the Inuzuka's face, threw Hinata over my shoulder after landing by her, and ran faster while pumping chakra to my legs. While I ran I summoned fifty bushins of which half henged into Lavender-eyed females. With my mastery over the jutsu the clones easily copied everything about Hinata anatomically and visibly even down to scent and heart-beat. After that quick spawn of clones I ran on for thirty minutes, Hinata's arms thumping about awkwardly unable to find a good place to hold on without inhibiting me in some way.

Finally I collapsed under a massive oak with Hinata dotting over me in her own way with furtive glances and her teeth pressing lightly on her bottom lip. I glanced at the reason for my exhaustion, a long, thin sleep dart sticking crookedly out of the side of my left thigh. Due to the kyuubi, I could resist all poisons, but they still affected me in some way if it was the first time it was used on me. But regardless of my own troubles, I knew my clones would buy the two of us at least a day. I then turned my sluggish gaze to Hinata, even my exhaustion not stopping my mind from roving over small inconspicuous details.

"How did you get away," I mumbled as I rose to my feet.

"I," Hinata began, "was able to cut the wire the moment I was captured and as soon as you bolted I followed." I then took notice of Hinata's own puffing chest from exertion, I guess my shoulder slamming into her abdomen for a half-hour forced the air out of her chest quite often. I attempted to sneer at the weakness of the girl but the sedative obviously had a stronger grip than I thought because I had great trouble controlling my facial features.

As our breathing came under control, I grew bored. With no real goal in mind I had nothing to focus on other than my other goal in life and that was something I didn't feel like musing on. Even though I could have the greatest patience when it came to waiting for the right moment to strike or act, I was already mind-numbingly bored due to the sudden lack of action and the sleep dart fucking with my body. With nothing else to do, I became determined to do something. That something was to find out Hinata's skills.

"How are you, Hinata?" I started the conversation.

"Fine, Naruto-kun," was her stuttering reply.

"Since," I questioned softly in the low light of the evening, "we are going to need to work together, what is your skill set."

"What!" Hinata exclaimed back, something about my question startling her.

"I said what is your skill set, your skills, what can you do?"

"My father wouldn't like it if I told you," Hinata squeaked.

"Regardless, if you don't we won't make it through the night in this exercise," I said to add some deadline incentive. "Well," she spoke hesitantly, "I have the Byakugan, my family's blood limit, and accordingly can use several techniques that involve the kekkai genkai. I have also trained in my family's taijutsu style for years though my father is disappointed in my skills in the fighting style, or the lack thereof."

I groaned internally. I didn't know if she was a master of her taijutsu style or an amateur due to her contradictory statements.

"What about you," she asked.

I thought for a moment, "I use a variety of iryo-jutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, ninjutsu, fuuinjutsu, and traps." "Oh," was her elegant reply. "Why don't you specialize in anything?"

"I don't specialize in anything because I try to specialize in everything. Counters and re-counters. Actions and reactions of course. If I stayed set in one line than it would be easy to counter me. I simply think in branches, where I make my choice by following the branch that would lead to the best output. Like evolution, the branches that would lead to death die out. The branches that flourish survive and are added to my repertoire."

…...12 days later...

Two ragged genin surged forward, three furious women behind them. The two prey, a slender girl with stunning lavender eyes and a male clad only in a facsimile of a what was once a shirt and pants and a mask of a snarling kitsune, were running for their respective lives. Weaving through the trees, dodging and dashing away from their pursuers, the two ran with not a single glance at the ground and quickly left their chasers in the dust. The two were not going to be tricked again and ran on. Suddenly the female buckled and in a flash the male had grabbed her and ran with her arms hanging on to his neck. They duo ran on, for they had reached an understanding. It didn't matter what had came before, there was only now. IN this very now though they had to run and help each other if they wanted to make it.

…..Naruto's P.O.V...

I slowly trailed into one of Hinata's and my own base of sorts. We had several of which we relocated to every six hours. I laid her down on to a bed of leafs. As soon as I set her down I noticed the threadbare-mess that was her outfit after this long ordeal the two of us had experienced. Her outfit was greatly in need of help. While not nearly as bad as my own situation, it wasn't particularly fitting of what counted as Hyuuga royalty. Her outfit, or what was left of it, consisted of pants-turned-shorts, and her black shirt she had been wearing before-hand and was now adorned with holes, mud, and other stains from our adventure. Her jacket which had been a major part of her outfit had long ago been shredded for use in other endeavors such as bandages and traps. The girl who was adorned in the ratty rags was conked out, not of choice a course. No, the sleep was courtesy of the half dozen of sleep darts planted firmly in her calfs. It seems she hadn't escaped them like she had believed. I quickly removed them I knew she would wake up soon. It was actually surprising how quickly the girl in front of me became immune to the darts.

As I moved away I formed a clone with a thought and then had it go check the many traps I had set to stop the two of us from being sneak attacked. All 273 of them. I had been bored during one of the lulls in combat and paranoid and in turn made all of them from twigs, leafs, and branches. As soon as my clone dispelled several minutes later I knew it was ok to crash for awhile. I did so.

Looking at Hinata to check on her I saw something surprising. The girl was crying in her sleep, something I hadn't seen her do before. I promptly rose and approached her. All most on instinct the girl attached herself to my leg as soon as I was close enough to her.

I groaned, why was she touching my leg. I didn't know what to do. Then I stood there. I didn't know for how long or when I had fell asleep while standing but I knew it had been awhile for when my eyes had flew open I saw it was later in the day than it had been earlier. As I looked around I noticed I in fact was kneeling rather than standing and in my lap strangely enough was Hinata's head. Staring up at me was two white eyes staring in intense curiosity. I could do nothing but stare back into the entrancing orbs in front of me.

I could see the years of worry, the years of neglect in the eyes that faced me. For a moment I thought these eyes that had ensnared me so were my own. But my eyes were blue. Well, blue and red but the red one was genjutsu'd to look blue. So whose eyes could they be, my sleep-fogged brain churned having already forgotten Hinata was laying in my lap. I panned my gaze to the face the orbs rested in and suddenly alert and awake realized it was Hinata. Wait, Hinata!

At the same time both I and the Hyuuga flew to our feet. I then questioned loudly, "What color were my eyes!" My loud tone seemed to physically hit her. I felt a strange emotion after seeing her flinch. Was it guilt. I pressed on, "WELL, WHAT COLOR WERE THEY!"

"They were blue!" she yelled back. I sighed with relief before realizing that we both had been shouting. Even though the genjutsu to hide my sharingan had held, the two of us were now in deep shit. Though less so than if the jutsu hadn't. Then I would have some explaining to do.

I quickly dived at the girl, saving her from a dozen sleep darts and the two of us ran. After a few minutes of fruitlessly trying to shake our hunters, Hinata was suddenly tackled and I watched in my peripherals as she was metaphorically killed. I suddenly felt alone. After twelve days of constant companionship, I was abruptly by myself again. I felt a cold rage wash over my body. In less than a second in each of my hands I held a long thin kunai that resembled a conglomerate of an ice-pick, a kunai, and a stiletto(an Italian blade characterized by it's long thin make).

I then glared at the now six kuinochi surrounding me. Behind the genjutsu on my left eye my sharingan swirled. I smirked behind my mask. This eye was so helpful when it came to genjutsu. A tense motionless moment filled the air then passed and all the female ninjas attacked. I flipped over the Inuzuka's gatsuuga and planted a kick in her hind quarters and earned a, "Oof," of indignation as I sent her to the floor. I then engaged the sword user Uzuki. Her blade was a whirlwind of steel flashing through the air.

Every-time the blade slithered forth to kiss my flesh I blocked with a killer's instinct. As the frustration grew on Yugao's face, I sensed a person attempting to attack me from behind. I jumped above Mitarashi and said kuinochi plowed into the single kenjutsu user of the group. I then turned to face my teacher as the rest of the kuinochi pulled themselves to their feet.

My sensei glared at me, her ruby eyes flashing with the humiliations I had put her through the past couple days. The woman began blazing through seals and I decided to mess with her and copied her seals with my sharingan down to the millisecond. I grinned as her eyes grew wide and watched as she fumbled to go faster in her symbol work. I easily matched her.

At last she roared the jutsu's name, I repeating her every vowel in tandem, "Raiton: Assimilating Butter fly."

The chakra surged off of my opponent and I, rising into the air to form two identical and massive butterflies. Once both chakra constructs had fully formed, electricity blasted from their bodies and encased themselves in Lightning armor. The two beastly creations then began to circle their twin, their hulking wings flapping and creating monumental gusts of wind. The Raiton techniques bellowed, though how a butterfly can bellow I don't know, as they simultaneously attempted to kill off the other. While our constructs battled in the air, Kurenai duked it out with me beneath them. I threw a jab at my sensei's gut and it struck home. She collapsed, but then poofed into smoke and a splintered long. I flipped about to face my blind-spot only to receive a boot to the face and flew back. But it wasn't Kurenai who had kicked me. It wasn't that insane woman, it was the other one, Anko.

I was back on my feet in less than the blink of an eye and was once more thrown into a fistfight. Above my head the two electric bugs finally dissipated, their last acts to scream battle cries(or whatever the equivalent of that is for butterflies). My purple haired foe rushed me mean while, letting loose snakes from her sleeves while yelling, "Seneijashu." I grabbed said serpents by their throats and crushed them.

Two kunai thrown later and I was gone. I faster than ever before. I sent more and more chakra to my legs as I dashed away from the fight I had been in. Suddenly I collapsed after tripping over my own exhausted legs. Though I hadn't shown it while fighting the kuinochi, I was extremely tired from constant running and surviving while the Kuinochi chased myself and Hinata down.

As I dragged myself under a bush in a small attempt to conceal myself I wondered if I was here for the gods to torture. A poor life for a poor soul of course. Regardless, times like this made me wonder if I would ever be able to fight my father in combat. Even kages thought a moment before engaging him. His bingo book page literally had the words, "Do not engage; flee on sight."

MY own powers were nowhere near enough to fight the man and it made me sick. If I couldn't fend myself against some jonin then how would I ever face my father. I just simply needed a way to become stronger. I just didn't know what. That was when a thought struck me. I had a demon fox in my gut who had fought the man and almost won. I concentrated briefly so as to enter my subconscious. I was out like a light.

I opened my eyes to the room that contained the nine-tailed biju. "Fox," I growled into the darkness. Two massive eyes flicked open, a strange gleam in them. The gleam was some sort of emotion but I didn't feel the need to decipher it.

"Yes, my ill-tempered container, what do you want," was the oily words that spilled from the beast's mouth. A sickly grin of sharp teeth walking in line with the sentence as Kyuubi stared directly at me. "I need to know how to get strong enough to beat my father," I requested with a bellow.

"So you wish to defeat your father?" the kyuubi mused. "Well, there is two options boy," the words slithered from her tongue, filling the air with a strangely sweet aroma.

"What are they," I asked.

"Either you learn your father's jutsu the Hirashien, which would make you a copycat and also would be nigh impossible with your amount of chakra or..." she let the words hang suggestively.

"Or what?" I demanded, the anger in my voice easily discernible.

"I could give you a power-up of sorts... at a price," Kyuubi said, her voice untroubled and Stygian.

"What is this price," I asked suspiciously.

"It is merely," Kyuubi hung her face closer to mine, well as close as a giant and really thick metal cage will let you, "a... hug."

The kyuubi wanted a hug. A hug for supposedly extremely powerful and potent powers.

"You want... a hug?" I said incredulously. I was of course going to be skeptical. The queen of all foxes was asking for a hug.

"Yes, a hug... unless you don't want to beat your father of course," was her suave reply.

"I will take your deal," I grumbled as I slowly walked into the cage of my biju. A huge flash of red light over took my eyes for a second and instead of a hundred-foot fox, a girl a few inches shorter than me appeared. The girl eerily looked like Hinata except for her eyes. The eyes were darker than my blood-red sharingan. A deep, evil shade of red that contained a million levels to it. Each level deeper and more confusing.

The girl held her hands and arms wide. A fox like grin was sewn on her face. It looked so much out of place, so mislaid, that for a moment I thought a possessed Hinata was the one beckoning me for a hug. Even though I was bothered by the startling resemblance, I kept edging forward towards the girl, the kyuubi, the whatever. It didn't matter how creepy it was, I needed more power.

Slowly my arms encircled the biju's false body, pulling her into a tender hug. The kyuubi then nestled her face into the crook of my neck and shoulder. Her soft breaths tickled my neck. It was strange how it felt like a normal hug. I had expected something to feel amiss. Then we stood there, our warmth spreading into each others' bones.

Then she bit my neck. Her small canines clamped with a soft pop sound straight into my flesh. I felt more than saw the hurricane of red energy twirling above my head. It circled me and kyuubi, dancing every which way. Then it drained into the four identical holes in my throat in what was the most unpleasant feeling I have ever felt. It felt like a thousand bugs were crawling through my veins. Each singular bug biting all my flesh in an impossible way.

As soon as the last wisp of red vapor entered the small wounds healed and on my neck was a tattoo of an albino nine tailed fox encircling a red nine-tailed fox. Then the tattoo morphed, the encircled fox became white while the circling fox became red. Then it morphed back. Then changed again until both of the foxes were a weird mismatch of red and white.

I fell to my knees, not a single muscle in my body complying to my commands. In my ear, a few soft words were whispered. "You are now a hanyou, a half demon. The knowledge to use the powers that come with this responsibility will be in your mind. Now farewell..." I faded away into sleep, the kyuubi's final words being lost to obscurity, "_My love_."

…..Kyuubi 3rd person view limited omniscient...

The wistful smile on the kyuubi's face was a shocker. She had just turned her container into a half demon. She had also given him the sole responsibility of being a fox sage, something that had not existed for millennium's due to the her own self being the last of her kind. The last of the kitsunes. Before she was a mass amount of chakra, she was a simple young fox, part of the largest and most powerful summoning clan that would only allowed themselves to be summoned by Uzumaki. But with the fall of the Uzumaki clan, her clan fell into disuse and eventually died off.

The reason for their mass death was simple. The kitsune's were the only clan that required human mating. With no human mates they could not reproduce and eventually succumbed to old age. She had in fact been close to death when she heard a voice calling to her. Then a flash of light and she was what she was now. A giant immortal fox made of chakra. But now she had marked the boy with the mating contract of her clan. This contract also made her powers far more easier and efficient should Naruto need to call upon them. No other jinchuuriki would even be able to attempt to wield and control the power as well as Naruto would one day be able to.

With the contract laid and binding, the boy was her mate yet he didn't know and would hopefully never know until it was far too late. If he learned too soon of the plans laid in motion for him by herself and the red eyed mortal she had seen poking about in her container's head then all would be lost. But she held hope, she would get her revenge against the fourth Hokage.

As the kyuubi's form shifted back to a gigantic fox, her eyes stayed the same. Happy and revenge-crazed.

…...Naruto's P.O.V...

I groaned as I woke, my back feeling like a tree had punched it. It was daylight and last I checked, I had dived under this bush at night. I let loose another sigh. As I crawled out from under the bush and regained my feet three hunkering dogs landed around me. As they stalked forward I frowned. It seems I never get a break. For a second I hoped they would go away.

As always, I didn't get what I wanted. At the last bit of that thought filtered through my brain one of the dogs decided it wanted to maul my face. I caught it by it's slobbering maws and tossed the ninja-mutt at another of the three. The last seemed to think a moment then charged. Instead of grabbing the dog, I jumped over the hound and allowed it to barrel into Hana who had tried to sneak up on me. The female Inuzuka let out a loud curse, I assumed because she thought she had me.

I then ducked in mid-air, a flying heel kick from a mad woman obsessed with blood passing over with a hair-breath of space between the sole of her shoe and my noggin. Said woman who after missing slammed into a tree which in turn subsequently dropped thirty various woodland critters who scampered away in fear. I then landed heavily on the floor and dashed away from the attempted ambush. After running for a few moments I came about the original clearing that Kurenai had explained the exercise in. Standing there in the clearing looking determined was Hinata and Narumi. Both were in battle stances. Behind me the purple-haired anbu Yugao and Kurenai landed.

I sighed once more and then threw up my arms in a simple stance. I was determined to end this. It was about three hours later when I reacted to the first punch that was thrown at me. I mean Narumi was taking years just to wind up a weak hay-maker. When she finally reached me I wrapped my arm around her neck in a faux-noose. I then kicked her legs out from underneath her and she plummeted and I placed a finishing blow directly into her nose, effectively ending the fight. I felt so fast, so strong. I didn't know where all this power was coming from but I felt invincible.

Then Yugao mad her move attempting to capitalize on Narumi's momentum and add her own attack. She then tried her darnedest to vivisect me. I supposed having a twelve year old kick your ass is annoying. I whipped a smoke bomb in her face after another missed swipe and then ran the two feet towards her and slammed the top of my skull into her face and dazed her enough to knock her out of the fight.

Next came Kurenai's attempt. She skipped all pretenses and went straight for the win. I slapped a fake explosive tag to the base of her neck as she passed by and she was sent flying and then landed a few yards away, face in the dirt. It seemed I wasn't the only one who was exhausted from these past two weeks. Lastly, I turned to Hinata.

I stared her down from my spot in the field. She seemed to wither from my gaze. The all of sudden she seemed to gain resolve and attacked me. Her new determined expression reminded me of the look Kyuubi had taken. I froze from the shock. My hesitation was just enough to allow Hinata to blow a fully powered gentle fist strike to my heart. Suffice to say, I was blown away. Two dozen feet away I landed, Hinata's chakra still snaking in the air in Hinata's direction. The look of horror on Hinata's face seemed to be etched in stone. I didn't understand why she was so horror-stricken.

I then glanced at my chest only to see it wasn't moving. That meant I wasn't breathing. The Hyuuga then ran forward falling to her knees when she reached my side. Her face peered over mine, worried white eyes dripping tears. I heard shouts and saw Hinata looking between me and whoever was shouting. Hinata then unexpectedly ripped my mask off. My fogging mind hoped to any listening deity I kept my genjutsu up. The Hyuuga heiress then did the thing I thought she was most unlikely to do. She clamped her lips over mine. Her thumping heart pounding over my failing one as she tried to save me.

Suddenly I gasped after Hinata had pressed on my chest a few times and began trying to suck in as much Oxygen as possible. I then fell back to the ground dazed. Who knew not breathing made you need Oxygen and also made you dizzy? I hope you know I said that sarcastically. Somehow during my gulps for air my hand found my mask and I re-donned it.

I then layed there just trying to breath. The crisp air that had once seemed so redundant now seemed so precious. I sucked in what seemed like gallons of the stuff. I could see from my position on the ground everyone else watching me. I looked around at each face. All of which were no longer concerned but angry. I tired to lay still as if I wasn't there. Everyone looked at me with one last look of contempt except for Narumi who was still knocked out and Hinata whose attention was being held by the surrounding kuinochi. I hummed internally. It seems no matter how much I proved myself, no matter what skills, what powers I unleashed, that I always was weak and cast-off as nothing. Just more garbage to be thrown away. For the first time in a long time I felt the despair I had felt in the early days of my childhood. The feelings that even if I beat my father and proved my worthiness of acceptance, my resolve, that even then I would just be discarded as merely the one who beat his father in a traitorous coup or some other false ideal that would be dealt onto me. It makes the notion of ever aspiring to more in this lonely world seem an insurmountable task. A momentous mountain to never be climbed. To never reach the glorious resolution and be celebrated. Against inconceivable odds of immoderate harshness, to rise above and be hailed as a champion. Those ideas seemingly foolish and only for the golden childs of destiny, never for a tainted egg. Never for the white light with the black spot on his heart. Always to be an unsung hero who was never a hero to began with. I guess it just means, all philosophical meanings aside, that I will be indefinitely one thing. I will always be seen as the second best.

END CH. 3

Next Ch. Chunin Exams

**An: So a lot covered. I will attempt to update every weekend. Sorry for mistakes in advance. If someone wants to be a beta PM me. Next up, the chunin exams. Don't forget to vote in the POLL. It is located on my author page on this very site. Enjoy.**

** Signed Ole Mad.**

**Updated May 17 after being beta'd by Roanes steel.**


	5. Ch 4 Chunin exams

CH: 4 The Chunin Exams

**AN: So I have a Beta now. One Roanes Steel will now be tortured with correcting the many misspelled words, fixing the plot of the story just like I usually do, and dealing with the mess that is the pairing for this story. Well, more like he read all of the junk I wrote and then sends a pm to tell me how to fix it. Still, I am very glad I have a beta, so everyone if you aren't feeling lazy thank Roanes Steel. Now onto this chapter. Also, the polls are closed. I am frustrated with the scene where Naruto meets Temari but whatever.**

…...Back to present, after wave mission...

Our return to Konoha was a depressing affair, well at least for me.

Kurenai had sent a message informing the mission output of our imminent return. When we arrived, Kushina swept Narumi into a hug, promising ramen later. I stalked away from the two red-heads, unable to stand the clearly evident love between the two. From the corner of my eye, I saw Hinata being greeted by a few branch members and a small smile at play on the girl's face. Even my sensei had two of those "evil' sensei from back at training ground 44 to greet her.

I sighed in slight frustration. It was just such a heart stabbing moment of pain to watch events like these and not being able to ever have such a moment. To not have parents to worry for you, or really anyone who would actually be sad to see you gone and happy at your return.

Every once in awhile, when I thought to myself and actually called my family mother and father, Narumi as sister, there still wasn't that sense of belonging, of knowing that you were with family. I had never felt part of the family, and if that wasn't enough, I have no friends to speak of because Narumi had long ago as a child estranged me from any other child my age before the academy and in turn like a domino effect made other kids wary of me.

I shook my head of the dark thoughts, not quite leaving the mood but not focusing on it and continued on my way to nowhere when a small boy dashed by me, a massive scarf trailing behind him and nearly tripping the boy every couple steps. Behind the kid was Sakura, living up to her secondary nickname from the academy that was banshee, was screaming and chasing after. But before Sakura could catch the boy, a dull thunk echoed through the air.

The scarf kid had crashed full tilt into a male, about my age, decked in a full body black suit with a humanoid figure wrapped in bandages on his back. The rough face shown through the round opening at the top of the now identified Suna-nin was painted in purple. The paint was obviously war paint to any ninja worth their rusty shuriken, but obviously not to scarf kid.

"Put me down you girly make-up man," scarf kid yelled from his hanging position with war-paint being the one holding him in the air. Sakura being Sakura, was in the background loitering, obviously to scared to stop what was happening.

Another sigh was drawn from my lips, the action of sighing definitely becoming a habit of mine. I ambled over to the two other males and in one swift move had scarf kid tied up by his own scarf and the Suna-nin tied to his the newly revealed puppet with the puppet's bandages. The bothersome snores of the two filled the air, unconscious due to my efforts.

I stood for a moment before calling out to seemingly no one, "Come on out, I don't mean any harm. I was just stopping two idiots from killing each other. Well one from dieing in the fight, the other from execution." Two other Suna-nin then appeared, one blond, the other a red head.

"I apologize for my foolish brother's behavior Anbu-san," the female of the two said stiffly.

"No harm done, and I also believe you have me mistaken, I am not an Anbu. Just a genin like you," I returned, my head feeling clouded from the Suna ninjas surrounding me. The reason for the feeling was my nose, or more specifically what my nose was smelling. Ever since the forest of death, all of my senses were suddenly boosted to an extreme degree. I was able to combat that by using chakra to reduce it's power rather than increase it like other ninja and was able to get through the mission to wave rather easily. But back in Konoha I had dropped it because I was already use to the smells of the area and wasn't nearly as affected by the smells as much as foreign smells affected me.

That was not true for the Suna kuinochi in front of me. Her smell was intoxicating. Some sort of desert flower mixed with the strange smell sand had. It was filling all of my smell receptors and I couldn't focus on much else. With my focus shot so much, I couldn't redirect my chakra to stop the smells and thusly my mind was made jumbled.

"Then why the mask, if you don't mind me asking," the kuinochi asked. "I use it as a reminder and let's leave it at that. Also, what's your name," I struggled to say without adding whatever entered my mind. The smell was numbing my thought processes.

"Temari, you?" was her simple reply.

"Naruto," I mumbled, my will losing the fight to the overpowering smells.

"Well, Naruto, it's a pleasure to meet you. Sorry once more for my idiot brother," Temari said as she walked over and kicked her sleeping brother, earning a grunt and nothing more.

"What about your silent friend over there?" I added, slowly filtering chakra into my nostrils to end the havoc the odors were playing on me.

"That's Gaara, my brother. The lug at my feet is Kankurou. Don't worry about him, he is just rather shy and after what your Hokage did for him to help him control his demon," the girls slightly rambled.

"You mean your brother is a jinchuuriki," I asked, my eyes widening inperceivablely.

A hard edge entered the girl's voice when she answered, "Is that a problem."

"No, not at all," I returned, "it's just other people in this village aren't as accepting as me, after what the Kyuubi did and it's dual containers.'

"Dual containers," Temari wondered.

"Well, our Hokage sealed the Kyuubi into his two children, one of which was a boy, the other a girl. The two children each were sealed with a part of the beast. The boy the soul, the girl the chakra. While the girl child is loved in this village, the boy is reviled," I said darkly.

The sand girl looked aghast at the small amount of information I told her.

Before the girl could ask any more questions, and I could give away more secrets that weren't secrets, I shun-shined away back to my room in Minato's house, tired of interaction with the world.

…... Temari's P.O.V...

"Don't," I said as I felt the minuscule flare of chakra that typically accompanied a shun-shin, "go." I slightly scrunched my face, not really happy about the strange mask boy's disappearance or his little tale about the containers in the village.

I turned to Gaara, and spoke up, my will resolute, "Gaara, we need to find out more about these two containers." The tanuki jinchuuriki simply nodded and then used his sand to lift Kankurou into the air. As the three of us, my brothers and I walked away to find our lodgings before investigating more, I saw the pink haired girl who was chasing scarf-boy dart toward the boy and then walk in a different direction with the child in tow.

After a few fruitless hours of learning nothing, I returned back to the hotel my siblings and I were staying at and retired to my room. My thoughts were filled with the mysterious boy Naruto and his strange words on the village's jinchuuriki. The boy had a charisma, dark and alluring, yet hurt. The only reason I had noticed was the result of having Gaara as a brother for years and learning how to decipher feelings and wants from the stone-faced boy by only seeing his body expressions, like slouching, seeing as how Gaara constantly had sand over his face and the rest of his body.

The boy was interesting, and it gave me a sort of euphoria I couldn't place. It might be a crush, it might not. I just knew I wanted to learn more of the boy.

After a few hours of sleep, and the dawn had come, I dragged myself from bed and fixed my hair quickly after showering. Then my siblings and I ventured through the village asking about the Namikaze children. Each villager happily would trail on for minutes about the female child, Narumi, but when asked about the son their replies were almost universally, "Don't worry about that monster, just stay away from him."

The conversation would end there and the people would walk away. Citizen after citizen spewed the same spiel, and each time a gross feeling made itself known. The feeling was akin to eating something rotten, and I knew it wasn't my stomach.

The people of Konoha were sick in the head, giving adoration and respect to the female jinchuuriki while an undercurrent of hate and distrust for the male equivalent. It was strange and repulsive and several times I had attempted to break a genjutsu that wasn't there, thinking this whole thing a sick joke.

I knew I had something I needed to do now, I just didn't know exactly what.

…...Naruto's P.O.V... Two days after return from Wave...

I glared at the wall from my spot on my bed. I hadn't been, much less slept in this room since my graduation. I was much too busy with being stuck in the forest of death for two weeks and then almost immediately have to go off on a c-rank to Nami-no-Kuni.

Then there was what I had been handed about a day after leaving the smelly, in a good way, kuinochi from Suna.

I had received a sign up form for the chunin exam from Kurenai. I had almost, and I do mean almost, screamed at the chance the slip of paper gave me to be a solo ninja. To go on higher ranked missions and greatly push up my plan's time-line. I had never signed a piece of paper so fast and today was the first day for the exam.

I was going to be a chunin, that was a fact. I just had to get up.

…...Shinobi Academy 10:02 AM...

In sick fascination I stared avidly at my Hyuuga teammate's trepidation. The girl's face had been hilarious when we had received the forms to participate. We had all signed up just yesterday and now were taking the first test of the exam. Though the events seemed to pass by fast, from sudden action to sudden action, I felt energized. The energy was like a boost of adrenaline straight to the system.

Before the test had started though, a peculiar event had occurred. A strangely garbed ninja had challenged me to a duel. The ninja had asked as my team was making our way to the very classroom I was sitting in now.

On an off hand tangent from the strange ninja, my team had easily bypassed the trick two chunin had tried to play on all the genin trying out for the chunin exams. The Uchiha's team though had in a stupid move exposed the trick and added more weak opponents to the test roster.

But I digress, the events with the duel challenger happened like so...

(Flashback no Jutsu)

"GUYS, I'm so pumped for this exam! I can't wait to show off my moves!' Narumi screeched.

The loud tones almost made me cry with my sensitive hearing. For a moment after the wails echoed through the hall, I imagined myself short and clad in orange like Narumi was currently. I shuddered, trying not to puke. While orange was a lovely color for flowers or parades, for ninjas it screamed, "Kill me First."

I prefer darker tones, like subtle gray, a shadowy green, or ninja favorites nowadays such as non-reflective black. Regardless of colors of clothing, the green I saw next almost scarred me for life.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY," a green leotard wearing boy yelled at sonic volumes. His foot flew for my face in a violent manner. I tilted my head sideways and his left leg slid along my right shoulder until my own fist from my left arm had brought itself level with the green ninja and met his face.

It was not a pleasant meeting for either party.

The green genin then leapt to his feet from his landing spot on the floor, his spherical eyes intently focusing on me.

"MY NAME, MOST YOUTHFUL OPPENENT OF MINE, IS ROCK LEE!"

The words echoed in the room before everything fell utterly silent. For a moment I swore I heard a cricket chirp.

"Not to disturb your flames of youth, but can you enlighten me with your most youthful name," caterpillar brow boy yelled his finger askew in my general direction. The deafening yells and sharp movements left me clueless on what to say. The next five words I said would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Hmm... did you say something?"

The caterpillar boy collapsed to a floor, though I had no idea why. I had asked a legitimate and honest question. I hadn't heard a lick of what caterpillar brow had said after he had roared dynamic entry.

"Argh, curse your hip attitude Mask-kun. I have decided you shall be my eternal rival of youth and it's most scorching of flames due to your similarity to my master's own rival!" Lee shouted at the top of his lungs.

My head tilted to the side again, not to dodge but in confusion. I looked to Hinata. Then Narumi. Then caterpillar boy. Then Hinata again.

"I'm not sure but is he challenging me to fight him or having a seizure?" I questioned my teammates. I didn't get an answer seeing as how both were staring at Lee bouncing about and twisting his arms this way and that. I turned back to caterpillar boy. "So... caterpillar boy," I murmured, "do you want to fight or something because I have an exam to take."

"Yes, I wish to engage in most youthful combat," Lee roared as he settled into a stance. He then added, "Let's fight."

The genin who was only two feet away threw a lightning fast jab, trying to crush my wind pipe and end the fight in one blow. I ducked under the punch in an impressive display of flexibility and using my left arm and left leg to support me snapped a kick into the green fighter's chin. I then tried to land a punch to the boy's stomach but he dodged. A flurry of leg attacks then rained on me as Lee recovered from my own attack. I parried and dodged the blows, waiting for the caterpillar brow to leave himself open or slip up.

The bowl cut-haired genin suddenly stopped his onslaught and backed up and I saw why. He was going for some now obvious weights on his legs. I couldn't let that happen. In a burst of chakra enhanced speed I slammed my fist into the boy's face. Lee then became extremely intimate with the wall after the sonic punch. When he finally pushed away from the wall... it fell apart in the shape of the leotard wearer. The boy stayed down on the ground, obviously done fighting due to unconsciousness.

My team and I walked on to get to room 301 as the footsteps of what I assumed his teammates were became louder from the hall I and my team had came from.

(Flashback no jutsu Kai)

I shook my head of the memories of the event, refocusing on my, 'darling team member'. Said team member was currently freaking out about the tenth question. The first nine had been really easy with so many chunins dotted around the room with the answers and the just plain geniuses who knew the criteria, I didn't even have to try.

But they real kicker of the test was the tenth question. The question itself was actually to choose to take the question or not. Quite a clever ruse. But the other genin were either too stupid to see underneath the underneath as Kakashi said often, or at least said enough for Kurenai to say that the man Kakashi said the phrase often, or were blind. This lead to many of the genin squirming in fear and stress and it was hilarious, I was nearly giggling in my seat. The most hilarious of all was Hinata. The question was like a cat and she the timid mouse. Of course when the mouse was so cute... Anyway. Already the almost all of the teams had given up. The only teams left was a Kumo team, a Kusa team, an Oto team, a Suna team, and the rookie nine plus team ten.

I could see from my spot that my Hyuuga teammate wanted to quit but was too committed to not disappointed Kurenai and the other people she deemed important to lift her hand. I silently applauded her. I then looked over at the Suna team that had stayed. It was Temari and her siblings. The Kusa team was two stupid looking boys and a red-headed girl. The girl was glaring at her teammates promising death if they quit. The Kumo was two dark skinned ninjas, one male, the other female and a busty blonde who was really pale. The Oto team was two shady looking brutes, and a girl with a sinister grin.

I heard a cough and turned to the examiner who had coughed whose name was... Ibiki. Ibiki spoke up and declared, "Alright! No one else giving up? Good, you all pass."

"What!" Half the room yelled, their faces hilarious in their puzzled state.

"I said you passed the test," the man smirked. "Now get out, your next examiner will explain the test. Head to training ground 44, if you need directions ask someone."

With those last words I was out the door dragging my teammates. A quick three person shunshin later and my team was standing in front of the evil forest that we knew so well. It was actually more of a jungle on steroids, but whatever. I grinned beneath my mask. This was going to be a piece of cake.

…. 10:45 AM...Training ground 44...

I looked at all the teams who had passed the paper test. Somehow everyone had made it, though the Kusa team looked frazzled.

Then a voice I knew yelled over the quiet clamor of the teams strategy conversations, "Alright, listen up brats cuz Im'a say this once!"

I gulped, I knew that voice. It was that evil kuinochi Anko. Or as Narumi had eloquently stated after we had finished training in this damn forest, "the crazy snake lady, dattebane!" Said lady continued her impromptu speech.

"This is the forest of death. As the name implies, you could die. Now on to the more important part of this speech. Your test will to obtain two scrolls and head to the center of this jungle. Each team will be given one scroll, either Heaven or Earth. But don't start adjusting your strategies yet, there's more. Your team's will be randomized. So in other words, you're working with strangers."

Anko took a huge breath, "Now will you all please come take a number from this bag and teams will be made." Ten minutes later and all the teams were rearranged. My two new teammates was the girl from the Suna team Temari and a Kusa kuinochi named Karin. My team was officially christened team 1. Team 2 was Kankurou, a puppet user, Tenten, a girl with two hair buns, and Samui, a Kumo kuinochi. Team 3 was Lee, the strange caterpillar brow boy, Hinata, my teammate, and Gaara. Gaara of course was the jinchuuriki I had met on that was on Temari's team. Team 4 was made up of Neji, a fate obsessed Hyuuga, Sasuke, the avenger Uchiha, and Shikamaru, a Nara. Team 5 was Sakura, Omoi, a Kumo kenjutsu user, and Zaku, an Oto-nin. Team 6 contained Kin, the female ninja of the Oto team, Shinamaru, a Kusa boy, and Ino, a Yamanaka girl. Team 7 had Narumi, my "sister, Karui, a girl kenjutsu user, and Kiba, an Inuzuka. Finally the last team was team 8. It held Dosu, the last Oto ninja, Chouji, an Akimichi, and Doto, the last Kusa ninja of the Kusa team.

"All right kiddies! Time to see if you got the stuff to not die! You got a week to get to the center. Have fun." With that cheerful message every team after getting a scroll and an entrance assigned, entered the forest of death.

…...Two days in: Team 1...

Once inside the forest introductions were made. After we all told each other our names, though I left out my last name, we made a plan. We were currently enacting said plan at the moment and were waiting for another team to try to either enter the middle building or do as we were doing and ambush other teams. Not the most ingenious plan, but effective.

It had only taken my team two hours to get to the center because my teammates didn't know the terrain. The two girls were completely unfamiliar with thick forestry. With that stipulation, travel was slower then I would have liked. When we reached the center, I quickly set up a home-base in the trees and my team settled in. Two days later and we were back to the present.

Then they showed up. I couldn't tell if it was irony or just my luck but team 2 showed up. The team looked horrible. Samui was supporting Tenten who had a big gash across her left leg. Kankurou was noticeably being weighed down by his puppet and his paint had smeared from perspiration. It was almost too easy to take their scroll and pass the second part of the chunin exam. For the next five days, my team just wandered about the building. With nothing but time to kill, we slowly got to know each other. I distinctly remembered my conversation with Temari and Karin about our lives growing up.

(Flashback no jutsu)

"So Temari," Karin said, "What was it like growing up in Suna?"

"Well for starters," the sand-nin smirked, "it was hot." Karin snorted at that. "But for truth, my childhood was pretty lonely and boring. With Gaara as my brother and the Kazekage as my father, not many people were brave enough to talk to me, much less be my friend."

Karin shared a sympathetic look with the kage's daughter. "My childhood was also a bit depressing. In grass, everyone is obsessed with proving that the village is as strong as one of the big five. With that notion, almost 90% of the population is or was a ninja and even then the village's amount of shinobi doesn't even equal half that of a great village' amount of ninjas," Karin murmured. "So, I having no choice, was made by my father to become a kuinochi. My mother didn't do a thing, just watched and looked slightly sad."

The girls then turned to me, "What about you, Naruto?" Karin asked.

"Yeah," Temari added looking expectant.

"My childhood is none of your concern," I replied harshly.

"Come on, tell us," the two girls said in tandem.

"NO!" I said angrily and stomped from the room.

(Flashback no jutsu Kai)

We had a few more conversations after that, but nothing substantial. Then in the last two days, teams began to seep in. First team 3 appeared around noon, Lee the only one that looked like he had got in a fight. The second team that made it was team 4 who trudged in at 8 pm. They all looked like a tornado had kissed them and Sasuke had a hand on his neck, looking suspiciously at anybody who glanced at his weird behavior. The last team that made it was team 7 who arrived on the last day.

If possible, they looked even worse than team 4. With their arrival though, a chain of events kicked off. A few minutes after the last team had arrived, all the team who had made it were summoned to the main hall.

The Hokage then rose and began to speak, "Hello everyone, I'm sure you all are tired but there are too many participants left. So we are going to hold four fights, randomly generated of course, to dwindle those numbers. After that I'll give a brief speech and the matches for the third exam will be decided.

The Yondaime then sat down and an electronic board flickered. Before saying two names. Shikamaru Nara and Temari no Sabaku. Soon only three ninjas were left standing in the center of the room, the two fighters and the proctor. Everyone else had fled up to the balconies on either side of the room.

Temari smirked, "This will be easy." Shikamaru just muttered, "Troublesome."

As soon as the proctor yelled go Temari started throwing futon techniques about like a mad woman. All Shikamaru could do was curse and dodge the barrage. But the genius obviously wasn't one much for stamina as his sluggish form was clipped by the wind jutsus, sapping away his strength like a leech. Temari finally seemed to get bored, or at least realize her chakra levels weren't made for this type of combat. With that in mind she stopped for a moment to breathe. In that small allotment of time she mad to breathe her fate was sealed. Shikamaru immediately launched into his kagemane jutsu and latched onto Temari with his shadow before she could jump away.

"What is happening," Temari shouted, her body physically straining against perceived invincible bonds. The kagemane jutsu was actually a mixture of genjutsu and jutsu. The shadow acted as a connection and made the recipient believe they were being grabbed by a shadow. That's where the genjutsu part came into play. The ninjutsu part was more internal. The control was only who had the stronger will. In truth, if the recipient had a greater mental fortitude or extremely larger reserves of chakra, then the captured could break the jutsu or turn the jutsu back on the user and stop the user from moving.

"You were caught in my jutsu," Shikamaru said helpfully. "Now surrender."

"Why should I," Temari asked irritably, frustration evident on her face.

With a simple slip of a kunai from Shikamaru's pouch, his hand aiming toward her throat, her body copying the exact movements in a weird reversal making it very evident that she was lacking her own kunai pouch. She of course remembered that she had long ago gotten rid of the thing seeing as how she had her fan.

"I surrender," Temari mumbled.

With those words said, the Nara fell to his knees releasing his jutsu. The Nara choked on the ground, attempting to draw air into his lungs and as he wallowed in exhaustion. The Nara was helped back up to the balconies and Temari shuffled up on her own accord, her expression thunderous.

The board flickered and the names changed to, "Naruto Namikaze vs Lee."

I jumped down and stared at my supposed rival, supplied by said rival only a few days ago. I glanced at Kurenai who stood next to Gai, the two sensei obviously conversing over the upcoming fight.

With a sharp, "Haijime," the fight was on and Lee trying to decapitate me with his feet time began. I simply formed a kage bushin and shunshin'd onto the giant ram seal statue in the room. My clone kept of the pretense of being me by dodging all the attacks from Lee so as not be dispelled.

After a few more attempts from Lee to hit my clone, things started to go down hill. Lee leapt back and ripped off his weights and they fell to the floor, making a massive thud echo through the room. Large cracks formed all over the floor surrounding the ground zero of the small but deep craters made by the weights. I stared incredulously at the weights. That was almost beyond belief, but made Lee's train like powerful hits make more sense.

Sadly though, the taking off of the weights had dispelled my clone and left Lee to begin searching for me. I wordlessly held out my hand and lightning coalesced into a tip-less tanto in my palm. I dropped silently and charged at Lee, a light smirk overtaking me when I saw Lee had fell for my ruse. As soon as Lee rushed me, I let my elemental tanto fade and jumped a foot into the air before crossing my arms and going ram-rod straight and slipped into the ground feet first.

The vibration's of Lee's almost frantic searching only increased my glee and made me smirk more. I rose behind Lee as quick as the wind and landed a strong jab into his back. The boy fell, then chakra began rolling off the boy as he released a gate after scrambling to his feet. I groaned, cursing Gai.

Then it was my turn to be pummeled. After a minute of receiving more jabs and kicks in that time limit then I had ever in my life, I growled and sent wind and lightning chakra curling through my limbs. Then Lee and I clashed. Massive blows that would cripple the other if they actually landed. Each time Lee released a gate, the more chakra I sent to my own body to enhance it. Soon copious amounts was pouring forth from the two of us. The bowl-cut boy was at his fourth gate and was obviously preparing for the fifth. I, myself, was shaking from the strain my body was experiencing, grinned.

I was being pushed by such a weak person. A small part in the back of my mind was telling me to use jutsu, genjutsu, anything other than taijutsu and I would immediately win. Unfortunately I was too far gone, lost in this fight and the adrenaline blaring through my system.

Next CH. Gates and Truths, powers unleashed.

**An: Sorry for the long wait. After the next chapter it will all be made from scratch. No more notebook to give me stuff to write.**


	6. Chapter 5: Gates, Truths, and Powers

CH: 5 Gates and Truths, Powers unleashed

**AN: Yes, I am back! I really wish I could mess with this story on the weekdays and make more, longer chapters, but the only time I have to do so is on Saturdays and Sundays. **

** Also, only four things I want to cover. One is that Narumi is weak because most characters who are pampered from berth are weak. There are very few examples where they aren't regardless of how strong their parents are. Most powerful people had either a bad background or aren't living with their real parents and grew up with a strange background.**

** Two, Minato and Kushina will come to play. Simply, my story would fall apart if I suddenly had Naruto's blood parents rush up to him and start kissing his $$ major hardcore like. **

** Three, the dreaded pairing. I thank all of you who have voted, and dealt with that nasty business. So the important moment, what's the pairing. Well... that's for you to find out. So no more bitching in the comments(I can already feel the hate building for this) and I won't have to bore you with these long Author Notes.**

** Four, in regards to Naruto killing everybody and generally being a blood thirsty bastard. What is it you want people. First you want Naruto to just off Hinata and then get shit done. Then you want Naruto to go nuke-nin and biju bomb the shit outta Konoha. Now it's like a conglomerate of that with a pairing thrown in and the few people who like Hinata like me and are desperately trying to save her. It's all a mess. **

** Anyway, read the story or give me some comments on my bad story and grammar and whatnot. I look forward to all comments. **

**PS: Ole Plums said last chapter was crappy. And I AGREE. There is just the simple problem with completely changing everything in a fic. It's that it is very difficult to do so AND keep the story good. There are so many consistency problems that must be planned for and fixed and it makes the people's fics on this site that can do so amazing. I am not as good as those people. Also, the problem with making a character powerful is that until he is fighting people who are his power level you have to lower his levels or raise others. I raised rather then downgrade. **

** This is my first fic. So don't judge too harshly.**

"Hello" normal talking

"_Time to die" mental thoughts_

"**I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra**

"**_I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c_**

_**PS: I don't condone rape. It is a horrible thing and can and will happen both ways. It isn't only bad men who do it, if a woman wants to she can simply knock out the person she wants and tie them up or threaten them with a gun, and don't say men would enjoy it because that is very sexist and inconsiderate of all victims of rape and sexual abuse.**_

…...Hinata's perspective...

The onlookers stared in awe at the momentous clash of taijutsu happening before their very eyes. The two fighter's chakra rolling off the two in tidal waves. Each successive increase in chakra making the battle that more astonishing. One such onlooker happened to be Temari who stood next to me as I winced with each strike that neared Naruto-kun. My index fingers pressing against each other in a display of nervous energy.

"He's amazing," I heard a voice say and realized it was my own.

The girl next to me looked at me and nodded before replying in a her own smooth tone, "Who exactly is Naruto? He is your teammate right?"

I eep'ed mentally before answering, "He is Naruto Namikaze, son of the Fourth and the red death of Konoha, Minato and Kushina Namikaze." I blurted this all out, not a thought towards consequences or all of the information I had provided the older female. I noticed a look of realization overtook the Sabaku child before she exclaimed, "So he is the... container," she finished weakly.

"Yes," I mumbled. I was completely out of both my safe zone and my element in not only this conversation, but the entire exam. I had easily breezed through the first nine questions in the written portion due to my bloodline which was a skill given to me by my family. I didn't do anything during the team part because Gaara kept himself and I safe the whole time while Lee completely trounced the team he found. Another victory I got from someone.

I winced once more at the powerful strikes Lee was throwing at my Naruto-kun. My... Naruto-kun. How I longed to say those words aloud next to the person in question. To be as strong as my father wanted. But I doubted the possibility of both with each passing day. Not only was I weak of skill, but also of mind. Nothing that I have ever done to prove myself to my father or Naruto measuring up to their standards.

I had even deluded myself in to thinking something had grown between myself and Naruto in this very forest in what seemed so long ago. Then I had stopped his heart, literally. I hadn't even thought the attack was going to land nor get near him. Then before I knew what I was doing, I was trying to save Naruto without dieing myself from all the accidental kissing that was required to resuscitate him.

I then bore witness to all my teachers around me scolding Naruto for almost dieing in their own strange way of caring. I wondered why he was so apathetic through it all though. Even I could see they care that each woman was conveying through their eyes, yet Naruto reminded me of a whipped animal who no longer responded to the whippings. Just layed there and took it like he thought he deserved it.

The paradox of blaming and caring at the same time for the boy of my dreams, and all that just for my own mistake. Naruto's beautiful blue eyes, the only thing you could see of his face even if it was only small slits, showing the defeat he felt. I did nothing to help after that either, my own insecurities stopping me.

I was brought back to reality when the Suna-kuinochi snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. "I think your teammates is about to lose," was her words.

My pulse suddenly dropped before hitting overdrive. I gripped the handrail tightly, staring at Naruto-kun and screamed, "Go Naruto-kun!" Nothing around me mattered. Just the only thing that gave me hope, my love, on the ground his eyes staring glazed at the ceiling. The mask he always wore was smashed and the blue eyes it always hid bare to the world, crying blood most likely because of the shards from his mask that peppered his face. The bowl-cut ninja seeming lost to his fatal move he was unleashing on the prone boy.

…...Naruto's perspective...

I growled as Lee hit his 5th gate. I couldn't push anymore chakra through myself or I'd risk my muscles exploding. Before I could react I was punched into the air, my mask inexplicably destroyed beyond all repair. Another blow and I was on the ground listening to my bones crack and feeling my eyes clench in pain. Long over now was my sudden battle euphoria. Just the sad fact that a boy who could only use chakra when he released his body's gates was going to kill me.

All my work, all my training, all my sweat, blood, and spine breaking effort(pun included). It all meant nothing, nothing at all. The best part was that my sad monologues were becoming a common occurrence for myself. Even though I thought I was so self sufficient, not needing another person to support me, I always collapsed and was left to pity myself like a loser.

But regardless of my notation of my disappointing self-deprecation, I could add another mark to my long list of failures. A failure of a son, a failure of a jinchuuriki, a failure of a ninja, and most of all a failure of a human being. Hell, I wasn't even human anymore, just some sad half-breed.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to cleanse the blood dripping from my eyes before opening them to watch my end as a way to gain some final forgiveness for being such a failure.

Then like a beacon of light, of hope, a ray of strength from another soul of related history. My memory syncopating the similarities. The horrible backgrounds of uncaring families, of working ourselves into the ground for nothing, not even a glance. No love, acknowledgment, something to hold, love, touch, cherish. Of siblings being favored, of quiet nights contemplating why we stay, why we continue living and don't just end it all.

I then felt it, the feeling I have always heard of. This strength of will, the want, the fire pulsing in my veins to protect and prove myself to another. The feeling was incredible, and it now made my sudden feelings, my sudden connection to Hinata. My soul already knew I had found my solution, I just didn't understand. I now knew... I knew my will of fire and it burned strong even as the rain poured. It's spark having always yelled at me, even now.

And to believe I found this self realization all because of Hinata yelling, "GO NARUTO-KUN!"

…... Kyuubi's perspective...

I giggled at the thoughts that went through the head of my container, my love. It was all going so swimmingly. My little Naruto had realized the kindred backgrounds of his little teammate and himself. Yet he didn't even question where he got the knowledge of the Hyuuga's background. The perks of his half-demon blood was delicious, mighty and potent, with limits he didn't even know. Just a little accidental mind reading during a couple interactions between the two, a little kiss that creates the and seals the connection, the sudden death and reanimation of demonized Uzumaki blood, and voila. The memories came, and I collected and with-held them, and when I felt the time was right, released them and sat back to watch the show.

The show of course was already so good, but now, now it was riveting. I only needed a few more pushes and then Naruto would have reached the second goal I had made for him. Just a few more cards, and a few more pawns that needed to be collected and crumbled and all would be ready for stage three, for the revenge.

…...Naruto's perspective...

My chakra flared, and my hand raised to catch the falling foot. Lee stopped cold, not a sound in the room other then the wind being displaced by the chakra rolling off of myself and Lee. I yanked the boy downwards, ignoring my already mending broken arm, unbalancing him and slammed my left elbow into his face. The chakra covered "chakra-less" ninja flew backwards along the ground before returning to his feet.

Lee dashed forward, the air waves cracking from his intense speed. My sharingan whirled and I ducked low before launching my arms onto the ground behind me and released a frontal donkey kick into Lee's now blocking arms, the two of us seeming to freeze-frame for a moment before regaining our wits.

Lee grabbed my legs and yanked me towards him, his fist flying towards my face. I twisted my head aside in mid-air and Lee's jab barely glanced my ear, sending a ringing through my skull. I headbutted the green ninja, worsening the ringing and causing my forehead to bleed, the blood mingling with my blood tears, that weren't really tears at all but cuts from my mask imploding on my face.

The two different sources of hemoglobin streamed down my face and I formed a massive amount of chakra, nearly all I had left, into one final and dense rasengan.

Time slowed as I threw my hand forward, the chakra construct filled with flecks of red blood that fell from my face into it. The blood altered the color making an evil looking purple rasengan that throbbed with power. In one full movement my attack blasted towards a still stunned Lee and the ninja was sent flying back into the wall. It was there Lee hung, implanted into the thick stone wall some thirty feet above the floor before falling forward only to be caught by his sensei.

I fell to my knees and rested on them and stared around the room. Looks of fear and hate somehow super imposing themselves over the looks of awe and wonder. I sat there just watching, the blood flowing from my head staining my hair red. Unknowingly my sharingan twitched, the tomoe attempting to morph into something before returning to the normal three tomoe, seemingly haven gave up. If the people in the crowd had looked closer, they might have seen the craziness my eyes held.

But the only one who held my gaze was Hinata. Her up curled lips. The joy she had at my victory, a real step towards proving that I exist, that I am human. That I am better than my father.

…...Hinata's perspective...

I watched the proctor lift Naruto's arm as he yelled, "Winner!" I applauded along with a few other people, my claps easily rising above other people's claps, even Narumi's own enthusiastic thunder. Then Naruto was lead away to the infirmary along with Lee who was carried by Gai and the board flickered.

Kiba and Gaara's names came up and the two quickly traveled to the ground floor. The battle was quick and painful with Gaara shattering Kiba's arm with his sand and threatening to the same to his nin-pup's entire body. Gaara won.

The board flickered again and this time the names Narumi and Karin flashed. The two kuinochi jumped down and after a few punches, Narumi simply rushed the other red head and beat her into submission with her haphazard street brawler style. Before Narumi was called winner though, the red-headed Namikaze strangely bent down and whispered something into the grass-nin's ear and said said grass-nin's face went red.

The board continued doing it's job and then proclaimed the names Sasuke and Karui. After a slightly intense battle, Sasuke won and Karui was left to stalk away glaring at her hands while lost in thought.

I gulped at what was coming next. My cousin leered at me, his eyes showing his brimming anger. I shuffled down the walkway, already moping internally at my incoming defeat that shall surely come. Neji faced me and glared and I flinched. He then spoke, his voice low and condescending.

"You should forfeit Hinata-sama. You and I both know fate has slotted you to lose and I to win," Neji finished with a dark grin.

With every word I fell further into my own pit of worries and anxieties. Then I noticed the drops of blood under my feet. The blood from Naruto-kun. I thought about the confidence I had gained to help Naruto-kun and abruptly clenched my fists.

"NO, Neji, I will not forfeit. Nothing you can say will make me give up like you. Now proctor start the fight please." I said clearly and coherently, without nary a stutter. I then dropped low and steadily into my Jukenpo stance. For once I wouldn't hesitate or second guess myself. Neji reciprocated the action and the proctor yelled begin.

Neji was off like a rocket and he and I were exchanging blows, blocking and attacking in some sort of synonymous and deadly dance. I reveled in my sudden strength, and then I actually hit Neji. A strong hit to his stomach and he slid backwards. Neji seemed to become livid from my attack and his speed became monstrous and his body flew forward, his blows savage and brutal.

I struggled to return his ferocity and then the tides were turned and I could do little to stop his ferocious charge. His strikes were like lightning and thunder, neither far from each other. With one final rush from Neji, I was thrown to the ground, dozens of my tenketsu closed. I groaned as blood trickled from my mouth.

From where I was on the ground I could see the proctor preparing to name Neji the winner, the smug satisfaction on my cousin's face apparent. I surged to my feet, anger coursing through my body, from head to toe, and my chakra flared to visibility.

"NO! I will not lose! Not to you Neji! Not to the world or anyone else! You have forced me to this! For years I have been forgotten, treated as a weak heiress and a failure of a Hyuuga. You will not take this small victory from me!" I roared, all securities, all thoughts of consequences meaning nothing to me anymore. I had to win at all costs.

I put my hands together in the forbidden Hyuuga seal reserved for punishing only the worst crimes or mistakes by branch members and Neji fell to the ground, clutching his skull. The smug look was gone now as he writhed on the floor. I stopped after a few seconds and the boy faded into unconsciousness. I was the victor! Not him! I was! As soon as the proctor yelled victor, I ran to go find Naruto-kun.

…...Naruto's perspective... Naruto: age 4...

I clutched my stomach as my back was kicked by the old smelly cook. His daughter stood in the back ground, barely visible through the curtains of the small restaurant. The girl was distracting my family with loud conversation, completely over-riding my own small pleas for help. I had simply asked to use the restroom and the old cook had said I could use the one they had in the back. I was pulled over the counter and as soon as I was close to the restroom the man tripped me and had started wailing on me.

For the next twenty minutes of my life I had to watch my Mother and Father happily talk with the old man's daughter, the only one noticing me being kicked being Narumi who said nothing and went back to slurping her noodles rather then look through the curtains cracks and watch me be beaten.

On the way home no one even glanced at my beaten form. No one noticed the harsh glares I received or the hushed whispers. My family just chatted together, Narumi between my mother and father, being swung back and forth and her face covered by a massive grin.

On that night I decided I hated ramen. I also decided I never wanted to see the Ichiraku ramen stand again.

…... Naruto: age 6...

I sat on the tree swing outside my own house, kicking the dirt and thinking about nothing. It was two A.M in the morning and my house doors were locked so I couldn't get in. Minato and Kushina hadn't noticed when they called Narumi and I in that I hadn't come in right away and locked the door. That had been at eight O'clock P.M. I had even knocked on the door for an hour with no response. So I just sat at in the light rain fall, kicking my feet in my shorts and t-shirt. This was the fifty-second time this had happened, I was counting. I didn't understand why they didn't notice I hadn't come in.

…...Naruto: age 8... October tenth...

I furtively glanced around myself in the back alley of one of Konoha's many streets. Lights sparkled above head and shadows were cast as looked about. I had been doing this every year since I was five, and the instinct to look around me before I did this was ingrained into me. As soon as I had made sure I was alone, I removed a few bricks from a wall and slipped into the hollow space of earth I had dug under them before replacing the bricks.

In the hollow space was a ratty mat and pillow, a small box with a candle and a box of matches, and another slightly bigger box clear of everything. I moved the one foot difference between myself and the box and plopped down. I ruffled through my jacket before finding a scroll and pulled it out. I unrolled the scroll on the box and sent a jolt of chakra through it.

After the smoke from the summoning dissipated, a slightly lopsided cupcake was shown. I reached into a pocket and pulled out a single candle and placed it onto the cupcake and grabbed a match from my match box. A quick flick and the match was lit and I topped the candle and the cupcake's candle with flame.

I shakily reached out my hand and picked up the red and orange cupcake. The thin paper cup it sat in feeling strange in my hand. The frosting on it slightly melting from the heat of the small space. My own harsh breathing filling the tiny bolt away. The loud fire works outside filling the air with their own explosions and the general chatter of the strolling civilians running through the streets and enjoying the on going festival of the Kyuubi's defeat.

I slowly intoned to myself in the dark hole, the earthy smell filling my nose, "Happy...birthday...too me, happy birthday...too...me, happy...birthday too... meeee, happy birthday too...me." I then just stared at the cupcake, not really feeling hungry anymore. I also knew somewhere across the village Narumi was being clapped at as she blew out 10 candles on a big cake, and then ripped into a mountain of presents she no doubt had.

…...Naruto: age 9...June 9th...(Itachi dies later this year)...

I wrapped my jacket around me as I walked around Konoha. The streets were dark and the streetlamps far and few in between. Every other alley seemed to be filled with the harsh grunts of older men and the sickening fake moans of street whores. The brightly lit buildings and their red lights proudly proclaiming what they were. A bar there and a strip joint there. An old alcohol store, a run down pharmacy.

I just pulled up my collar and walked slightly faster, trying to ignore the few times when I was younger when I had been thrown to the ground in the very alleys around her and forced to endure fake nails clawing my skin and fat wannabe pimps smacking me with their canes. Of the one time when an extremely drunk woman who was a kuinochi who had tied me up and done... unmentionable things to me. Her cracked lips touching my skin and her rough hands running up and down my body. Showers didn't come hot enough.

I walked faster.

Today was Itachi's birthday and I remembered a tea shop that sold a type of tea Itachi had once told me he liked. It was only a plus that the chop accepted anyone. I entered the tea shop and quickly selected the special variety of jasmine tea. I went over to the old woman sitting behind the counter, her name tag stating in swirly hand writing her name was Yukon Fumi. She didn't even give me a second look and handed me back the bag of tea leaves in a cheap plastic bag.

I nearly ran all the way to Itachi's home but I knew if I showed up earlier then eight O'clock that Itachi or if his mother answered would invite me in. This would cause Fugaku to have a miserable mood for the rest of the evening because he didn't like me and because Sasuke wanted to do anything to be like his father and would instantly copy the man and would generally ruin Itachi's birthday. I couldn't let my lowly presence do that to the man who was so nice to me.

I arrived at Itachi's house and stood there staring at the door from across the street for an hour, my hands clutching the tea bag like a lifeline. When I finally saw the door open and Itachi stepped out, obviously on his way to his apartment, I dropped down. Itachi didn't even blink before slowly raising his hand and poking me in the middle of the forehead.

"Hi there Naruto-kun, what are you doing out so late?" We both knew he was just asking that as a greeting, the two of us knew of my family problem but after I begged him to ignore it and not go attempt to assassinate the Hokage, we just didn't talk about it.

"I... I wanted to give you this," I lifted the bag so he could take it. "Thank you, Naruto-kun. You didn't need to get this for me," Itachi said. I tried to not glance at the obviously way more expensive gifts he had in his other hand, simply being glad Itachi liked my gift. Itachi then ruffled my hair, only the second time he had ever did so and began walking home, his hand gesturing me to follow him. I did and when we reached his house he invited me in and I got to stay the night, sleeping on his small couch.

I wondered as I layed there at night if it was sad I felt more liked here than I did at home.

…... Naruto's perspective... Present...

I groaned as I finally got out of the infirmary, less than twenty minutes and my over-powered healing factor had fully healed me and half my chakra had already refilled. I had used far too much chakra during my battle with Lee. On my way back to the way back to watch the remaining fights, I ran into Hinata who immediately latched onto me and made me flinched heavily though Hinata didn't seem to notice as she excitedly told me she had won. As soon as I got her off me, I congratulated her and the two of us made our way back to the main hall where everybody was gathering on the ground floor.

The Hokage stood up and walked forward to speak with the gathered genin who had won.

"Thank all of you who have participated in this event. Congratulations to all of those who have made it to the third exam. Before we all leave and head either home or to hotels I want to tell you all the real reason for this exam. This isn't some way to find out who is chunin material or a way for the villages to show off their power. This exam is a proxy for war. To show which Village is the strongest. To present to all other villages their military power and to stave off real war," Minato finished with a dark note.

As everyone began to file out of the building, I felt a hand clamp onto my shoulder. I whirled around to see my father looking at me, a regretful look on his face.

"Naruto, we need to talk."

…...Kushina's perspective... The day after Minato discovered his son's life...

I hummed as I put away some groceries for supper later tonight. I had never thought as a child that I'd be a wife, much less a mother of two children, and what cute little children I had. A son with his father's features, but his mother's eye and head shape and a daughter who was the spitting image of me. They were wonderful. When the two were younger, I had to stay home and watch the two and somehow Naruto was always hurting himself when playing. I swore every moment he left my sight he would come back with a bruise or a cut.

I would have thought the wounds more serious if I hadn't once been the jinchuuriki of the very biju in my children's guts. I knew the beast would heal his wounds in twenty minutes, give or take a second. Then something seemed to happen between my children and me. Narumi seemed to become so much very closer to me while Naruto just seemed to grow away. I had thought it was a phase, but now after a few years, I worried for him.

Naruto was very anti-social. I wondered if I should set up a play date for the boy with Mikoto's son. Give him another friend. I quickly shook my head. Mikoto and I had a falling out a few years ago when her eldest Itachi had died. Mikoto never told me why she was so angry at me, but the two of us never reconciled.

I had just finished putting away the last of the groceries when I noticed something strange. Minato's office door was open. He never left it open. I trailed in to see the room a mess. Paper here, pens there. Books torn and the floor scuffed. Kunai were thrown against walls and there were even a few clumps of hair on the floor.

This was extremely weird. Hair clumps and a messy room, trashed thoroughly. I needed to speak with Minato. As I exited the room I suddenly ran into Minato, his eyes were blood shot and his face haggard. I didn't understand why he looked so bad, he was perfectly fine yesterday.

"What happened to you, Minato?!" I yelped.

"Kushina-chan, we have failed Naruto," was all Minato said.

"What! How?" I exclaimed eloquently.

"When was the last time you hugged Naruto," Minato asked. "What does that.." I started to ask but was abruptly cut off by Minato yelling, "When was the last time YOU hugged Naruto?!"

I racked my memory attempting to find the answer to his question. I thought, and thought. I couldn't remember the last time I had hugged him.

"What about made him lunch for the academy when he was in it, or bought him something, hell when was the last time you talked to him?!" Minato yelled. His breathing was ragged and his exhaustion suddenly became apparent to me.

I tried to remember doing any of those things but I came up with nothing. My mind raced, searching for any dates, for any one time I could remember I had done those things for Naruto. Just an empty mind came up every time.

"Why can't I think of anything Minato! Why?!" I roared, wanting answers. Minato's voice was almost so quiet that I didn't hear what he said, "because we failed him, Kushina, because we failed him."

I collapsed to the floor and sobbed for my son, my thoughts filled with self-hatred. I myself had a lonely child hood but my parents had been dead. I also still had a great grandmother for awhile of it. But Naruto, he had two parents yet, he was ignored. Ignored to an extreme measure that it seemed almost unbelievable. All of the times Naruto had come home hurt suddenly became surreal, the bruises and cuts looking more like they had come from a knife and a fist rather then falling and rocks.

The hurt look I remembered seeing Naruto giving every time I handed a bento box to Narumi. The nights where I didn't remember if I had tucked in Naruto. The birthday parties where Naruto never seemed to be around. I wanted to puke, it was that sickening.

"Where's Naruto Minato?! Where is my child! I need to beg for forgiveness!" I wailed.

"I'm not done Kushina, go look at his room," Minato demanded.

I quickly dashed to my son's room and promptly screamed at the deplorable state of the room. I wanted to beat myself with a stick when I glanced at the shitty bed that rotted in the corner. The bare closet making the few clothes that more apparent. The old desk with the drawings on it falling apart.

Tears dripped from my eyes and I wondered what sort of monster was I.

…...Naruto's perspective...

"Naruto, we need to talk."

I glared at Minato. "What about," I hissed. The man seemed to be hit physically by my words. I grinned.

Minato suddenly forced a pitiful smile and said, "Well your mother is planning on training Narumi and I thought since your birthday is coming up and all that I could teach some of your father's old tricks."

"Cut the act old man, I know this isn't what you want to talk about so spit out," I growled dangerously. The nerve of the man, trying tho schmooze me over with his techniques.

The fake smile fell, "I... I am sorry son. I am sorry for what I did to you. For what you endured. If I had known, if I hadn't ignored the signs, if I hadn't been such a bad father..." I cut him off.

"I don't need your pity. I grew up without you watching over my shoulder as my ribs were kicked in by your civilians and I don't need you now or your _wife_ Kushina. The two of you and Narumi can go die. Hell, it would save me the trouble of kicking your ass. Mark my words, one day we are going to fight, and when we do, you'll either be drowning in a puddle of your own blood or I'll be dead. Either way I will be out of this hell hole. Now if you excuse me _Hokage-Sama_ I need to train for my next fight."

I ran away, ignoring Minato's words for me to come back. I had anger to blow off and this forest would do.

…...Minato's perspective...

"Well he's a handful Minato," I heard the slow drawl of my sensei. I turned my burning eyes to him and his face immediately sobered. "What's wrong Minato," he asked.

"Jiraiya-sensei, I have failed my son," I mumbled, the tears already flowing down my face. The only witness to my despair.

"How so?" Jiraiya asked seriously. I quickly explained what Kushina and I had done unpurposely. Jiraiya's face growing grimmer with each word. "That's one hell of a screw up Minato. How are you gonna fix this one?" "I don't know sensei, I just don't know," I replied.

Next chapter: Training with a Drunk Lady

**AN: Whew, what a chapter. No more book to guide me so this was all free-type. I think it went pretty well. A little Kushina time, a little Minato time, and a whole lotta stuff occurred. ** **Review and tell what's up.**


	7. Chapter 6: Training with a Drunk Lady

Ch: 6 Training with a Drunk Lady Pt 1

** An: Hopefully I can keep this short. I will personally pm anyone who wants me to the reason why Naruto is so close to Hinata, this pm will involve SPOILERS. I know I am being a hypocritical bastard but most of the reviews I get see only the 'then' and 'now' parts of the story. Not the long term goal in effect. I don't know if I just didn't leave enough clues or something but it's simply stupid how many people think this is a Hinata fic just because Naruto is getting close to Hinata. While Hinata and Naruto being together is my favorite pairing, I knew it wouldn't fly in my story and had planned what to do to change it from NaruHina to Naruto and mysterious character not as of yet named.**

** Also, I get it. Naruto is a complete asshole. But imagine your parents not simply saying I love you for all of your childhood and that the city you live in hates your guts and everybody beats the shit out of you because of things you couldn't control. Then come and tell me you would be miss sunshine like canon Naruto.**

** Alright, rant over and the AN is long. Just read the chapter and yell at me for being mean in a review. Ole Mad.**

"Hello" normal talking

"_Time to die" mental thoughts_

"**I like donuts" biju/demon/jinchuuriki using biju chakra**

"**_I shall lace the donuts with poison" mental thoughts of biju e.t.c_**

Ch: 6 Training with a Drunk Lady Pt 1

"What is this!" I exclaimed, angrily thrusting the mission scroll forward.

"That," Mikoto spoke cheerfully, "is a mission for you to bodyguard me on my trip to Tanzaku town."

"But..." I began to splutter, "I need to train for the chunin exams and you're a ninja yourself! You don't need a bodyguard."

"On the contrary Naruto-kun, I am no longer an active Kuinochi and while you think you need to train, it's more likely you need a vacation. There is also the fact that even though three-fourths of your team are fighting in the chunin exams, your team is still active. Since your teammates are both training with certain people, Narumi training with Kushina-san and Hinata with her father and Kurenai, that leaves only you to represent your team," Mikoto finished with a grin.

I fumbled through my jumbled thoughts, searching for a counter-argument but could think of nothing. There also might be the slightest chance that my only real reason for not wanting to do this mission was because I felt extremely guilty just being in Mikoto-san's presence. This woman in front of me held my greatest respect and was more of a mother to me than Kushina ever was. This wonderful lady had even comforted me, ME, after I had murdered her son. Let's just say I felt I owed her a debt and I also felt really unworthy of being around her.

By the time I had wrenched myself from my thoughts, and plugged my sensitive senses with a good deal of chakra so that I don't smell a wisp of perfume that's a mile away and distract me from my conversation, Mikoto-san was already walking out the gate. I chased after her, and stood dutifully and silently a few feet behind her.

"Oh, come on Naruto-kun. Cheer up! I heard Tanzaku town has many gambling attractions and a good deal of pretty women..." Mikoto continued to chatter on about the qualities of the town, her own face smiling and happy. Each and every second I looked at the smile made my head throb and my heart ache. I had killed this woman's son. Why didn't she hate me? Why did I feel so guilty? Why did I feel so happy in her presence, like a warm blanket had surrounded me? It all just didn't make any sense.

"Hey, Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun," was the words Mikoto finally broke through my thoughts with. "Yes, Mikoto-san?" I returned. "Stop with that Mikoto-san business, makes me feel old and I know you. You're not just some stranger. Call me Mikoto-chan! Say it with me, Mi-ko-to-chan," Mikoto ordered

"I get Mikoto-san," I quickly changed what I was saying after looking at Mikoto's glare, "I mean Mikoto-chan. So what exactly are we trying to get from Tanzaku town? I doubt we are going there to gamble."

"I," Mikoto dictated, a strange stare from her pointed directly at me, "am going to meet up with some old Uchiha contacts to get some items. While we wait for the items to be delivered to town, the two of us will stay together at a hotel. Maybe while we're there we'll sample some of the fun, Naruto-kun?"

"S-s-sure Mikoto-chan, whatever you want," I stammered back. I felt even guiltier for just thinking I might disappoint Mikoto-san, I mean, Mikoto-chan. So no matter had bad my guilt was, I would try to please Mikoto-chan during this trip and do what she wanted.

…...Konoha...Narumi perspective...

Sometimes I didn't get people. I mean, why was everybody so mean to each other and why did everybody act so funny about simple stuff. If you want to tell someone something just say it. It would save minutes of pointless conversation. I just wished everybody would be nicer. But, I knew that would be really hard to make happen so I needed to become really strong and make it happen with my big brother.

I loved my brother. He's so very handsome and strong. He also was one of the coolest big brothers ever. He may seem really mean and cold, but he just didn't understand how much he cared for everybody. Especially Kaa-san, Tou-san, and me. He was always really cold around me and kaa-san and tou-san. I didn't quite understand why.

I mean, I know when I was younger didn't exactly act very nice to my nii-san. I was actually kind of mean, but no one told me I was being mean. I also didn't know what to do most of the time and didn't know how to react. One such time was when I saw the nice ramen people hurting Nii-san. I didn't know how to react or what to do so I stayed quiet and just ignored it.

I may have also as a child told everybody to not play with my Nii-san. Not because I didn't want him to have friends, I just wanted him all to myself. My Nii-san was too good for other people. But later when I had joined the academy and learned about things that had happened to my nii-san I felt bad. So I tried to make it up to him the only way I could. I tried to get him to sit next to me and be friends with my friends. I tried to hug him and spend more time with him. But my Nii-san was always so busy.

But then my nii-san and I were put on the same genin team! It was awesome. I finally had my Nii-san all to myself(well, if you don't count Hinata and Kurenai). But if anything, my Nii-san grew more distant. Then when we returned from wave, we were almost immediately swept into the chunin exams.

Almost all of the exams were a blur for me. I remember a really hard test and then being in a jungle. Then I fought a red-headed girl from Kusa and when I did we had a weird conversation. All through the fight we talked about my Aniki and then the chick made me really mad. She said she wanted that, and I say this in her own words(no matter how true they may be), "Glorious piece of man-meat all to herself". That pissed me off, so I charged her and punched her until she gave up.

It was as she laid panting on the ground that I told her I was willing to share my nii-san and walked away. I know it's not exactly normal to love your Nii-san in the way that I do, but, I love my Nii-san. I just wished he would love me the way I would love him. He was just so... so... words just can't describe his amazing-ness. I truly loved my nii-san.

Anyway, back to the exam, after tou-san talked to everybody, he stopped nii-san and had a weird conversation with him. I only heard snippets from my hiding spot behind the wall, but I heard enough. Kaa-san and Tou-san had done something to Nii-san and I planned to find out what it was!

…...Kushina's perspective...

I bit my nail as I sat in front of the Yamanaka man. I couldn't take the raw guilt I was feeling. There had to be a reason why I had mistreated my son in such a way. There simply wasn't a logical reason why Minato and I had suddenly just stopped paying attention to our child. I sniffed a nasty plot about that was a decade in the making.

"So let me get this straight, you want to look through your own memories by having me send you into your own subconscious?" The Yamanaka slowly drawled.

"YES!" I exclaimed.

"This isn't cheap you know, you are going to need to pay a pretty penny for this."

"I know," I replied, "it's worth it."

"Alright," the Yamanaka sighed, "prepare yourself, forced entry into one's own subconscious is pretty painful." The blond man then snapped through three quick seals and the last thin I saw was the man sitting down and pulling out a magazine.

The pain I felt as I was shoved into my subconscious was every bit as painful as the man promised. Like bits of glass pushed into the very ends of your nerves and left there while someone punches that spot where the glass is. But every second I hurt because the technique I yelled at myself that I deserved it for being a horrible mother to my son.

When I finally hit my 'inner mind' all I saw was the giant rock that the Kyuubi was once impaled to in my mind and the ankle deep water-floor thing I was standing on. After the Kyuubi I had been released from me by the strange masked-man, I wasn't able to return to this room, or my mind at all.

Over on the wall though was something new, a door. The door itself was nothing impressive, just a cast-iron door about the size of a door you would see on a building and was rusting. It was just the thousands, and I do mean thousands, of seals swirling about the door in a counterclockwise movement. From the few seals I saw, I easily deduced it was the Yamanaka's jutsu at work.

I made my way over to the door and entered through it. Everything went dark as soon as I stepped through the passage way. Then small pin pricks of light started to appear. First there was only two, then four, then they kept multiplying until there was a million of them all rushing towards me. As the pricks got closer, I saw that they were not lights at all but... broken shards of glass flashing something.

When the shards finally stopped, they completely surrounded me on every side. Millions of little bits here and there, small flashes of colors and things passing through the screens of the shards. I grabbed one and surprisingly it didn't cut me. I looked closer and suddenly got a strange idea. I lifted the shard and slammed into my hand. There was no pain, or blood. The shard just slipped into my hand like it never existed.

I simply floated there in the middle of black space before all the glass shards started vibrating. Then the shards moved. Every shard flew in front of my vision and started interlocking, somehow coming together to form one giant curling screen, the humongous glass object making a perfect round visor that took up all of my vision.

Somehow I knew the screen was perfectly matching my vision, that it was like looking at things with your eyes normally with the one-hundred and twenty degree view. That nothing of the screen was being left out. Then the screen lit up. A close up of Minato's face when we had been so much younger. I remembered this memory. This was the day Minato had saved me from being kidnapped.

It was strange. Somehow while the screen played the memory in perfect clarity and the words spoken by myself and Minato floated through the air, actually making noise, the memory played through my head. If I thought inwardly I literally saw my self watching the memory. This all was very strange and confusing.

I reopened my eyes and watched the memory. When Minato finally stopped talking the screen exploded back into a million pieces and surrounded me once more. I looked at my hand and the shard I had stabbed myself was sitting in my palm. I understood now, I understood how to view all of my memories.

…...Minato's perspective...

I clawed at my hair. It kept swinging in front of my eyes and blocking my vision. After the conversation with my son, I felt even worse. My guilt was ripping my stomach asunder. I hadn't eaten in five days and barely drank a sip of water during each of those days when my son was in the forest of doom that was the forest of death. During those days, I had completely renovated Naruto's room. I first made the room bigger with some quick construction. I then got a new and bigger bed and a new desk for him. I also bought a large amount of remakes of that black outfit of his and filled his closet with them.

I had spared no expense, even though I knew that physical objects weren't going to fix what I had done. Then when I finally got a chance to speak with my son, he declared he wanted not only me dead, but Narumi and Kushina. No matter how much I want my son to get what he deserves, the peace and resolution he craves, I couldn't let him hurt Kushina and Narumi. The boy could destroy Konoha for all I care, Kami knows most of the citizens deserved it. But I needed my family.

So with the help of Jiraiya-sensei, we had slaved over this damn seal in front of me for hours. The seal was simple. It would seal all the hatred Naruto held toward Konoha and put it towards the Akatsuki. It would also lock away all memories of abuse and neglect by myself and Kushina and Konoha's citizens. It also had a fail safe. If Naruto somehow over-powered or unlocks the seal, it would immediately teleport my own self to the boy so I could fix the seal.

The only problems now was on how to get the seal on the boy and how to make the guilt I was feeling go away. I knew I needed to put the seal on the boy, but I wondered if it was the right thing to do.

…...Naruto's perspective... Two days after leaving Konoha...

When we finally reached Tanzaku town, Mikoto had almost immediately abandoned me to wonder around while she went to meet up with her contacts. It was as she ran off that she pointed at a hotel and told me to meet her there at about midnight. I simply nodded and watched her run off.

Then I was bored. Bored beyond all measure. With nothing to do and time to kill, I decided to get some food. So I looked for the closest restaurant and it turned out to be a half bar half diner place called Tanzaku's cup. I entered it and made my way to a bar stool and sat down.

Before I knew it, the hours had passed and it was seven O'clock and I had nearly three dozen bottles of alcohol, empty of their contents, sitting around me. I wasn't drunk of course, the Kyuubi made sure of that, but I was pleasantly buzzed. That's about as much drunk as I can get. Regardless of how much I drink, and I have tried, I have never been able to get more than a buzz.

It was while I was attempting to persuade the bartender to give me another bottle that the door flew open and someone marched in. I didn't even glance at the door, completely ignoring whoever had opened the door. I heard the slight depress of air as the cushion in the seat next to me was sat on. The pale white hands next to me with red nail polish gingerly held a large dollar bill. Not large in size, but in amount.

The woman next called out loudly, her voice filled with annoyance and what I guessed was depression, "Bring me the strongest bottle of whiskey you got!"

I simply turned back to my own bottle I had swiped from a passing waitress when it was apparent the bartender wasn't going to give me more sake. I sipped straight from the bottle, completely ignoring the spotless saucer in front of me that I was given when I had bought my first bottle of the day.

I heard the door swing open again, much more easier and gentle than the woman next to me had, and the soft soprano of the woman who called out surprised me.

"Tsunade-sama, you need to stop running off when you lose a game of cards. Those angry gamblers nearly turned TonTon into bacon."

"Oh, shut up Shizune," the newly named Tsunade growled, "I'm not in the mood."

With my sharp hearing I heard Shizune mumble, "but you're never in the mood." The woman then stepped forward from the door where I had pinpointed she was still standing and walked across the few dozen feet between her and this Tsunade next to me. I snorted for a moment because a funny thought I had entered my head. The thought that the obvious drunkard next to me might be Tsunade of the Sannin.

I laughed once more quietly to myself.

"What're are you laughing about shrimp," the woman next to me snapped.

I guess I had laughed a little too loud. "Just a thought that doesn't concern you miss, now leave me be," I threw right back.

"Who do you think you're talking to brat!" Tsunade screeched. "I'm Tsunade of the Sannin I'll have you know.

I fully turned to the woman and got a good look at her. A beautiful woman who appeared to be in her late twenties was what my eyes saw. What my nose saw was a different matter. My nose saw an old woman in her fifties who while is still pretty, is not exactly the ten out of ten I was looking at.

"Ha! You, Tsunade of the Sannin. All I see is an old drunkard hiding under a henge trying to threaten me," I returned with equal fire. The woman looked slightly taken back by my exclamation before glancing at her large pile of empty sake bottles she had drunk in the small lapse of twenties minutes between when she had sat down and when Shizune had showed up.

Her finely manicured eyebrows then furrowed, "Well, all I see is a stupid Gaki hiding under a cloth mask and stupid sunglasses pretending he can dictate facts to his betters. Why don't you go cry to your kaa-san you idiot."

I stood up slamming my fists into the bar table, "Why don't you go cry to your assistant about your troubles you old bitch!"

Drinking made me a little less patient when it comes to annoyances.

"WHO YOU CALLING A BITCH?!" Tsunade screamed.

"OH, I DON'T KNOW! MAY BE THE OLD SAGGY, WRINKLY, BITCHHHH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" I returned with equal fervor, completely enraged by the blonde woman.

Suddenly I was flying through the wall and slammed against a brick wall. I jumped to my feet, flung my arm out to allow a ball of lightning to appear and then turn kunai shaped before charging straight back into the building and stabbing the now once more drinking woman in the back before flying through several dozen bottles of alcohol, the blonde bitch screaming at the sudden shock of my attack.

The two of us ended up going through the kitchen of an old cat lady's house and onto the street outside of the cat lady's home. Tsunade grabbed me and through me away down the street and I tumbled before regaining my feet. The woman held her limp shoulder, no blood actually spilling from the wound. Her hand was glowing green and felt annoyed. The woman might actually be Tsunade.

It didn't matter. A Sannin was kage strength. This could allow me to find out if I could fight a kage. That, and my real reason was I wanted to punch the smug bitch's face. I charged her my hands flying through seals. As soon as I was a dozen feet from the woman, her fist of her newly healed arm slammed into the ground causing a massive crater. I simply jumped in the air, finished the last two seals of my jutsu and opened my mouth to allow several water bullets the shape of fists fly towards the woman.

The blonde female easily smacked the attack away and reared her hand back before flinging it into my face and I once more soared backwards. As soon as I hit the ground, I sprung back up and began to think. What could I use to fight the woman. Most of my ninjutsu were out because they were either too weak or too destructive. I doubted a genjutsu would work on the woman unless it was an Itachi level one and I didn't have twenty minutes to form all the seals for a jutsu like that.

Same with Fuuinjutsu, I just didn't have the time to make the seal I needed to stop the woman. That left taijutsu and whatever the Kyuubi gave me with her stupid demonic blood. I had already attempted taijutsu and that just got me punched in the face. So Kyuubi stuff.

I reached up a hand and tapped the tattoo on my neck through the cloth. My fingers directly hit the white-furred fox and a quick burst of the abilities I got from the demon blood ran through my head. It actually wasn't all that much. Advanced senses and reflexes, a little more chakra, and easier access to the Kyuubi's Chakra. A good boost to my healing factor, and then the sage jutsu or senjutsu.

I still hadn't figured out what senjutsu was. Not a single book in the Konoha library for ninjas even mentioned it. I had even asked Kyuubi but she had just smiled and went back to sleep. All I knew was that the knowledge in my head told me to sit still for five minutes and draw in the natural essence of the world. I didn't particularly know what it meant by that, but I felt this was my key to beating Tsunade.

I was suddenly brought out of my thoughts by a falling blue fist and barely dodged the punch. I spawned a dozen shadow clones and a half-a-dozen explosive shadow clones. I then kawarimi'd with some nearby leaves and sat down on top of a tree. I used a genjutsu and completely hid my presence.

Then I sat there, trying not to move. I watched Tsunade tear my clones apart and summoned in more and more to replace the dead ones.

Then I felt a tug on my mind and was drawn into mind.

…...Naruto's mind...

"KYUUBI! What are you doing! I am fighting a Sannin and I need to concentrate!" I screeched, nearly hyperventilating from the thought of my defenseless body sitting on a tree with no protection.

"Ara, ara, calm down Naruto-kun. I am just going to help you use this sage jutsu," the Kyuubi replied, though where she was, I couldn't see her. I looked around the cage for a moment and finally found her, in that strange Hinata form again.

"Hey, why do you have to be so creepy and look like people I know and hate ,Kyuubi," I asked still feeling slightly nervous about my body being unattended.

"What, you don't like these," and then the strange Kyuubi/Hinata form lifted her hands and squeezed the budding girl's chest. I blanched. I would pay to un-see that. Not only was it completely creepy seeing as how the being in front of me was the Kyuubi, it was worse to think quiet, mousy, introverted Hinata would ever do something like that.

"How bout this?" and Kyuubi's form changed and it was Narumi with Kyuubi's red eyes. The Narumi form she had taken though was of the one time when I was eleven and I had seen Narumi in a bikini. I clawed at my eyes.

"Don't take that bitch's form. You know I hate Narumi!" I yelled.

"Fine," Kyuubi deadpanned, "try this on for size." Kyuubi morphed once more and it was Mikoto. She of course still had the demon eyes of the Kyuubi. But Kyuubi had changed one certain thing. She had changed what Mikoto was wearing. Rather than the somber clothes Mikoto usually wore, this Mikoto Kyuubi hybrid was stark naked.

I clenched my eyes close, I had never seen Mikoto naked so I wondered how Kyuubi could make her naked. I also had far too much respect to look at the Uchiha woman's nude body like a letch.

This was simply madness. "Why are doing this to me, Kyuubi?!" I mumbled through my hands covering my face.

"What, I thought for sure you would like to look at your pseudo-mother's form. I even went through all the trouble of sifting the memory from the very woman's mind so I could match perfectly down to the... very... last... curve and... fold," the Kyuubi giggled at her own perverseness.

I felt the Kyuubi's fake Mikoto body lean against my back, her bare body making the woman's chest very apparent. I focused only on the fact that I needed sage jutsu to fight Tsunade. "You said you would teach me how to use sage jutsu. Teach me," I demanded.

"Oh, I did didn't I. Well, first of all it's sage mode, not sage jutsu. It's where you take the natural energy of the world and meld it with your own chakra. The toads of Mount Myoboku have their own version of this, highly inefficient of course and most of their practitioners end up turning themselves to stone toads. The fox clan however figured it out eons before the toads and had nearly perfected before they all died out due to the death of your clan. Anyway, to do this, you need to sit down in a Seiza position and become perfectly still. Before you sit down of course, it would be best if you remove your shirt," Kyuubi lectured.

"Why do I need to remove my shirt?" I asked.

"You want to learn don't you?" Was Kyuubi's sly reply.

I cursed inwardly. What happened to the fear I had inflicted into her oh so long ago when she drew me into the seal to talk about me living and dieing. "Fine, but try anything funny and you'll be locked in a thousand chains before you could say Gomen."

I then did as the biju said and knelt in the traditional pose and removed my upper clothes. I felt soft hands slowly fix my sitting position to fix slight mistakes and then the woman got extremely close, her bare breasts brushing against my back.

"Do not move even a thousandth of a millimeter. If you do you will have to start over. Sit perfectly still and imagine nature filling you. Fill nature's power. Let it come to you, do not try to take it," all these words she spoke were said in soft whispers, her bare body still pressed against me.

For five minutes I sat like that, not moving at all. I was lost in the sway of the powerful energy I was feeling, that wasn't from the Kyuubi. It was far more peaceful, far more primal and old and seemed to be even more infinite. I felt myself nearly choking in the energy but didn't try to control it or force it in, I simply let flow within.

Then Kyuubi spoke, "Mix your chakra with the energy. Make sure that every last drop of it melds with the sage energy and once it has, slam the door close on the entering nature energy. If you take even the slightest sliver more than you can meld you will end up losing all of your natural energy you had collected as well as nearly all of your own natural chakra. Attempt this carefully, fully focus, and do not let me be a distraction."

I did as the Kyuubi told me, slowly and carefully melding the energies. With each small sliver mixed I felt more powerful, more energized than I had ever had before. When I somehow felt, for I didn't know I knew until it was over, that I couldn't take anymore natural energy and stopped all of the energy trying to enter me. I don't really know how to explain what I did, I just slammed an invisible gate shut and the energy stopped entering.

"Now slowly stand up, breath carefully and use the least amount of energy you can. If you don't you'll end up using all of this acquired energy on just moving your pinky finger," Kyuubi seemingly blew the words into my skull, her body no longer seeming corporeal as I stood up.

I used the barest amount of energy I could. As soon as I closed my eyes I heard Kyuubi bellow the next words, yet somehow be a whisper at the same time, "Now go and win."

AN: **Whew that was a chapter to write. Anyway, I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish this chapter in my next thousand words or so, so I split up the chapter into two parts. You see, my goal for each chapter is about 6,000 words give or take a hundred. So review and tell me what you like, sorry for the cliffhanger.**


	8. Chapter 6 and one half

Ch: 6 Training with a Drunk Lady Pt 2

**An: Alright, two things to discuss. One: NARUTO WILL NOT BE DATING HINATA, he will however be attached to her until a certain plot point happens. Ahem, Two: Thanks for all the nice comments for the last chapter. Most of them actually weren't about how shitty any character in my story is, or the pairing. They were nice(I say that with sarcasm), thoughtful(this part was true) comments on either plot devices and/or upcoming things. Alright read on!**

**Ps: I just realized in every chapter where I had the biju(i.e. Kyuubi) talk, I didn't bold her words. Oops! So, no more of the way people think, talk stuff.**

Ch: 6 Training with a Drunk Lady Pt 2

**RECAP:**

"Now slowly stand up, breath carefully and use the least amount of energy you can. If you don't you'll end up using all of this acquired energy on just moving your pinky finger," Kyuubi seemingly blew the words into my skull, her body no longer seeming corporeal as I stood up.

I used the barest amount of energy I could. As soon as I closed my eyes I heard Kyuubi bellow the next words, yet somehow be a whisper at the same time, "Now go and win."

**REAL CHAPTER;**

I slowly opened my eyes to see Tsunade grab my last clone and rip it's head off. Not exactly a pretty sight. I carefully stood up from the Seiza position I had changed to on the tree and cracked my fingers as I let my genjutsu fall. Almost like an automated machine, Tsunade's head swiveled towards my position.

I jumped down from the tree, my landing leaving a crater five feet deep. I jumped out and landed on the ground again, another crater. Man this Senjutsu was powerful. My grin I had gained from the power-up fell. If I wasn't careful, I could lose all of my chakra forever. Still better than turning into a statue; of a toad no less.

Tsunade roared as she launched herself towards me in what seemed to be slow motion and I lifted up my hand to catch her fist. I went flying backwards from the attack, Tsunade along for the ride. I had barely felt a thing when I grabbed her fist, my whole forearm didn't shatter or anything of the sort. Just a soft tap like you would expect from someone poking you.

When the two of us landed, I threw Tsunade off and she snorted and huffed in anger.

"How about a bet Gaki?" She yelled a little too loudly. I mean I was only five feet away.

"What is it, bitch?" I returned.

"If I win this fight, you become my personal slave... _forever _and give me all the money you have on you at the moment_, _and on the teeny tiny chance that I lose I will," she fumbled a hand through her cleavage and grabbed something, "give you this, my grandfather's necklace and make you my apprentice."

"Sure Baa-Chan, don't cry when you lose," I thundered as I flew forward. Tsunade barely got an arm up before my fist planted itself into her forearm, eliciting a shriek and a nasty crunching sound. Tsunade landed near the old castle of the town and I jumped after her.

This time when I landed I only made a two foot crater. I looked for Tsunade and saw her sitting on the wall her unbroken arm healing her broken one.

"That's a hell of a punch boy. Where'd you get it from, your mommy?" Tsunade taunted.

I roared and lunged at her, though suddenly Tsunade moved far faster than she had before and I slammed into the castle leaving an imprint of my face and completely destroyed my sunglasses. I shook myself loose and once more lunged towards Tsunade, far too pissed at the mention of my parents to fight using actual tactics.

Tsunade simply skirted out of the way as I attacked. Just as I thought I was going to fully pass her, she stuck her arm out and grabbed me by the heel and then in a pivot motion tossed me downwards. I once more became intimate with a flat surface and growled.

I jumped to my feet, "How did you suddenly speed up!?" I thundered.

"You're not the only one with tricks and power-ups," was her annoying reply.

I forcibly calmed myself and then truly looked at Tsunade. She physically looked the same, she smelt the same, hell she even had less chakra than at the start. I was confused beyond all belief.

_"Use your Senjutsu, Naruto... feel the world around __you__, bask in it's presence, let it whisper it's secrets to you," _Kyuubi voiced to me in my mind. I let myself fall deeper into the Senjutsu chakra I had running through me. The energy was nearly intoxicating with how much potential it held. I focused my mind and opened my eyes again and looked at Tsunade.

It... it made sense. No wonder she had easily eclipsed me again. I should have paid more attention when I was fighting her, but I had let rage rule me.

"So Tsunade, you're using...

…...Kushina perspective...

I nearly collapsed as I dropped into my bed. I knew I must look a mess. My hair was most likely a rat's nest and my eyes red and puffy as can be. I had viewed every single one of my memories that anything to do with Naruto, with my son. With each memory it just became more apparent how bad a mother I was. But something didn't click.

Every memory where Naruto was involved was a little fuzzy. It was strange, I had viewed a good deal of ones where Naruto wasn't present and they were crystal clear. But every single one with Naruto was slightly blurry, like as if your eyes had just began to become unfocused.

Another thing that didn't add up was that I had hugged and kissed my two children every day up until Naruto and Narumi became three. Then Naruto just seemed to become unimportant and completely ignored by myself and Minato. It was like a genjutsu was placed on him or something, made specifically to make him less noticeable and important.

But who had the chakra to hold a genjutsu of that sort of power for nearly a decade. Also why would they want to hold a genjutsu up that long. Then again, the idea that someone was sabotaging my family was pretty ridiculous to think of. It made more sense that I just didn't notice the problems. Human minds have a great capacity for ignoring and forgetting. They also have a great capacity for denial.

Either way I needed to speak with Minato about this, but first I needed sleep.

…...Minato's perspective...Day before Naruto left with Mikoto...

I stared at my hands. I knew what I had made and how to put it on him. I had ordered one Mikoto Uchiha to place the seal on the boy under the threat that I would personally kill her son in front of her if she didn't. The woman had pleaded and begged for me to make someone else do it but I knew this was the only person in all of Konoha that Naruto actually trusted.

No matter how many times I told myself I was doing the right thing, that Hiruzen and Jiraiya told me I was in the right, I felt I was making a big mistake. That this would just make things worse. But to save Kushina and Narumi, my two other most precious people I would do it.

Maybe one day when I am old and gray I will release the seal and let Naruto kill me. That would give him his resolution and give me the peace of mind knowing my that I would be punished for what I was doing. I ran my hands through my hair, feeling the spots where I had ripped out tufts of hair.

I needed something to eat, even though I wasn't hungry. Maybe some alcohol.

…...Tsunade's perspective...

This boy in front of me... thinks he has the right to lecture me. The right to insult me! How dare he!

"WHO YOU CALLING A BITCH?" I screamed at the blond haired brat!

"OH, I DON'T KNOW! MAY BE THE OLD SAGGY, WRINKLY, BITCHHHH RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" The blond Gaki returned with equal fervor, completely enraged by my words. I reared my fist and punched him, sending the child flying through the wall. I was just returning to my drink when I was suddenly stabbed from behind.

I ended up flying through some woman's apartment and out on to the adjacent street. I turned and punched the boy away and he tumbled down street before regaining his feet. He seemed to be gearing himself up for a fight and I knew I would just have to beat that right out of him.

…...Several minutes later...

Why did the brat have so many damn Kage bushin. They were fucking annoying! I finally grabbed the last one and tore it's head off with a primal scream of rage. I then looked at the newly revealed brat, his genjutsu finally fading away. The boy's presence felt different, but I paid it no mind. I was going to beat the living tar out of him, maybe make some human pancakes.

…...Narumi's perspective...

I slowly tip toed towards my Tou-san and Kaa-san's room. The two were in there speaking in low voices. As I got closer to the door, my breath hitched. I couldn't be caught no matter what. I needed to find out what they did to Nii-san. As I reached the door, I quietly peeked through the slight crack and looked at my Kaa-san and Tou-san.

The two were standing and facing each other. I could see Kaa-san's face and tears were streaming down it. Tou-san's face however looked really tired. I slowed my breath and strained my ears to hear their conversation.

"Minato, how can you think that would help! That's basically making him a slave," my mother's voice, pitched in a low tone.

"What would you have me do?! Kushina?! He wants to kill us, to make us pay! I don't think we can blame all of this on just his prisoner. He even told me straight to my face that he wants to see me in a pool of my own blood, and You know what! I can't blame him. Think of Narumi! She needs her parents and she needs her brother. I just found the only solution that doesn't end with everyone dead!" My father spoke fervently, every word accompanied by his hands wringing themselves.

"But...but...but...," my mother slowly petered out, "Will he love us? Will he be happy?"

"Yes, Kushina. Yes," my father returned, "He will love us as much as he ever loved Mikoto and Itachi."

"He loved Mikoto and Itachi?" My mother asked.

"Yes, he did. Almost every year I would get requests from Itachi for me to make Naruto his personal apprentice. Then one day I asked why. His answer was simple. He said that he loved Naruto like his own brother, maybe even more and he said it would allow Naruto to see Mikoto more often."

"But... didn't you order Mikoto to be the one who placed...," my mother's voice became so quiet I couldn't here what she said.

"I...did," was my father's soft reply.

I slowly backed away and once I was far enough from the door I bolted away. I didn't know where I would go. I just needed to go somewhere. After running for nearly twenty minutes, I accidentally slammed straight into someone. I shook my head as I leapt up from the ground to look at who I had ran into.

It was Sasuke. I hate this guy. Ever since his brother died he was always so mean to everybody. But if what my mother said was true, that Naruto was connected to his family, then surely he might know something.

"Sasuke-teme," I greeted.

"Narumi-baka," his curt reply.

"Do you know where your mother is at? I need to speak with her," I asked.

"Yeah, I do, she is on a mission. Why do you need to see her?" Was Sasuke's clipped reply.

"Well, it has to do with my Nii-san and your Aniki. I don't know the full details, but apparently your brother knew mine very well," I rushed to spill out the words, "So I need to speak with your mother to ask about it."

"Why don't you just ask me? I know every bit as much as my Kaa-san about my Nii-san as she does!" Sasuke growled. "Why is this so important to you anyway?"

"Well, I think my Nii-san is in trouble! I need to help him and this is the only thing I could think of," I returned with real desperation. Why couldn't Sasuke-teme understand I need to help my Aniki.

"Well...we could...go...look around... Itachi's room,"Sasuke finally bit out.

"REALLY?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, but...just be careful in my brother's room. I... don't want to disrespect his memory," was Sasuke's morose reply. I guess he loved his aniki as much as I loved mine.

I finally was getting somewhere. I was going to help my aniki.

…...Naruto's perspective...

"So Tsunade, you're using...Sennin mode as well?" I asked.

"Hey, if you want to cheat, I'll cheat too," she snapped back.

"You're a fucking a Sannin. I think I need as much tricks as possible to keep up with you, though you are pretty rusty for a Sannin. A few decades of drinking probably does that to a woman who doesn't train," Was my own reply.

Then the fight was back on. Tsunade moved faster then ever before. Quick flashes and shadows were my only hints to dodge. Any counter-moves I could even think required time I didn't have. So much for power-ups. Another flash and I was introduced to Tsunade's fist Sennin mode style. For reference, think of an anvil being dropped on an apple. That's a normal Tsunade punch. Her punches now were more like elephants being dropped on ants, from a mile up.

I growled again. I was getting nowhere, and not only was I losing but Tsunade was seemingly unbeatable at the moment. Faster than I could ever hope to reach at the moment. Far stronger as well. It was all just one big clusterfuck of a fight. Even if I could negate her speed, her power was not so simple. Demonic healing and unlimited stamina does nothing when one punch can decapitate you.

"So... this is all the great Naruto can accomplish. This is what I get when I think a little baby Gaki can fight me. Even with all of your tricks, your nothing more than a little cockroach who is only where they are at due to what they have been given," Tsunade said.

Unnoticed red chakra began to lick at Naruto's feet.

"Maybe your daddy will come defend you. The minute I saw your eyes I knew you were Minato's brat. Minato however well... that's a man worthy of respect. Invented most of his jutsu and is far stronger than most people could ever dream of. Maybe your mother will come too. I know she is pretty strong herself, chakra chains and all, and.. Uzumakis generally are troublesome," more insults spilled from the blonde woman's mouth.

The red energy slowly began to encase all of Naruto's feet.

"Don't you also have a sister. I would easily bet she is a better fight than you. Probably," Tsunade added, her face taut with a mean glare.

"My powers are my own! I fought and bled for everything I can do! Do not belittle me woman! I... am... **POWERFUL!," **I screamed.

Slowly the chakra that had began to cover my legs exploded around me. I hadn't noticed it and at this point I didn't care. I was going to rip out that bitch's throat and shove up her ass!

I dropped down to my hands and knees, and let out a low deep rumble that reminded me of a tiger. The energy had long ago completely en-capsuled my body. Every second I stood there I could feel the power from the chakra making me stronger. The feeling was unbelievable.

"**I...will... rip your bones...from your body...and gnaw on them... in front of your very eyes... as you die,"** the words came unbidden. I spoke them, yet hadn't. It was like, a second half of me had surfaced and spoke. The thought processes similar... just different at the same time.

**"****Now... just stand... still...and **_**die!**_," My feet push off the ground and then I felt my teeth sink into flesh and bone. A cracking sound filled the air and my lips upturned in pleasure. My senses were alive, everything was so clear... but I felt weak and I had no control over my body.

Tsunade vainly attempted to repel my attack, which was me eating her arm basically, and ended up my teeth sinking further into the mangled flesh. Then an idea entered my head, our heads, his heads, heads, minds, thoughts...to rip the limb loose. To have the meat and bone no longer connected to the machine. Yes!

With a single great heave Tsunade's arm was ripped off, blood spurting through the empty space her appendage once filled. Tsunade's anguished screams filled the air and her arm layed on the floor in front of her, her eyes watching it unseeing. The red blood dripping down her outfit and staining it in strange patterns.

I stared at the limb, once more in control of my body. The red energy around me faded away and my extended senses fell as well. I also noticed my sage mode had ended sometime during my bloodlust rage against Tsunade. My body was sluggish and tired. I barely regained my feet when Tsunade's fist landed in front of me.

The angry female Sannin's fist was planted into the ground in front of me, her angry face a foot away. My eyes trailed up the arm and shoulder to the face of the woman and stopped on the unfolding seal on her forehead. Before I could attempt to decipher it I was punched away and my body slammed into a tree like a sack of potatoes.

Through my bloody vision, my normal eye completely swollen and half my body's bones having become mush, my sharingan noticed something. Tsunade's arm, the one I ripped off had grown back. Yet, not even a yard away was her arm as well. Two of the same arms.

"Haha...hehehahahHAHAHAHA," the laughter filtered through my throat and out of my mouth, "this is... just GRAND!"

"What is Gaki?" Tsunade intoned as she stomped ever closer.

"Just that.. I am fighting someone who is as much a monster as me... well that... and...," I coughed up some blood.

"And what?" Tsunade asked.

"Checkmate."

"Wha.."Tsunade crashed to the floor, and didn't move. I smiled, I had won.

…...Tsunade's perspective...

"So... this is all the great Naruto can accomplish. This is what I get when I think a little baby Gaki can fight me. Even with all of your tricks, your nothing more than a little cockroach who is only where they are at due to what they have been given," I said.

"Maybe your daddy will come defend you. The minute I saw your eyes I knew you were Minato's brat. Minato however well... that's a man worthy of respect. Invented most of his jutsu and is far stronger than most people could ever dream of. Maybe your mother will come too. I know she is pretty strong herself, chakra chains and all, and.. Uzumakis generally are troublesome," more insults spilled from my mouth.

"Don't you also have a sister. I would easily bet she is a better fight than you. Probably," I added deciding to be very hateful.

"My powers are my own! I fought and bled for everything I can do! Do not belittle me woman! I... am... **POWERFUL!," **the Gaki screamed.

Then as the boy yelled, red energy completely covered the boy and he dropped down into a bestial stance. The chakra surrounded the boy into a fox like shape, two tails swinging behind him. Then like a tiger the boy loosed a deep roar that was powerful enough that I felt the shock waves from it.

"**I...will... rip your bones...from your body...and gnaw on them... in front of your very eyes... as you die,"** the words were whispered from the obvious jinchuuriki in front of me.

**"****Now... just stand... still...and **_**die!**_," the boy exclaimed. Then the boy was gone and I felt an almost blinding pain.

I looked down and the face of the Gaki stared back, the thick black lines on his face adding a more bestial look. The evil red eyes glaring. The pupils being slits of black across the red. Then one eye flickered. The boy began digging his teeth even further into my arm and I groaned. Yet, the eye flickered even more. I concentrated for a second and pulsed my chakra and then the boy's eye changed.

Instead of two evil glaring eyes of pure red, slits trailing through them, one was still as before while the other was... strange. The color was deep dark blue, like the color of lapis lazuli and the pupil was a slit like the other with three tomoe spinning around it clockwise. The three tomoe also looked strange though. Their tails looked more... pronounced then the any other sharingan I had seen.

These eyes were a lot more different than the sage eyes the boy had held earlier. The golden circles I had seen with purple and red flecks dotting all about the irises. The weird mixture of orange and black above his eyes like make-up. The pupils shaped like a sickle almost with the way it curved in a smile like manner. Then the kyuubi chakra had corrupted them and the slits had ran through the curling smile pupils.

I finally couldn't take anymore pain and tried to punch the brat off. But if anything, the boy's teeth dug even further into my flesh. As I glared at the boy, I saw a thought appear in those strange eyes of his. I didn't want to know what he was thinking. I was just about to double my efforts in escaping when I felt the single most painful thing that I have ever felt in my entire life. The sickening snap of bones and the gross sound of flesh being rendered from flesh filled the air and I felt the weight where my arm was just disappear.

I screamed.

After what felt like hours of agonizing over my lost limb, I remembered my secret. The seal on my forehead. I immediately opened it as soon as I remembered it and it's soothing power flowed over me. My own arm remade itself before my very eyes. As soon as I was healed, I lunged towards the beast of a boy in front of me. I barely missed with my new arm. The nerves must have not finished aligning with my system.

I stared into the boy's evil eyes again and punched him. The sound of crunching bones I received was music to my tired ears. I then began the slow walk towards him. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Each step felt like a weight was being added to my legs and the rest of my body. As I got closer the boy started laughing madly.

"Haha...hehehahahHAHAHAHA," the laughter filtered from the boy's throat and out of his mouth, "this is... just GRAND!"

"What is Gaki?" I demanded tiredly.

"Just that.. I am fighting someone who is as much a monster as me... well that... and...," the boy coughed up some blood.

"And what?" I asked.

"Checkmate."

"Wha.." was my answer as I crashed to the floor. I couldn't move even a single pinky I felt so heavy. Every inch of my body had seemingly turned to lead. The Gaki... had beat me.

…...Naruto's perspective...

I used the tree I was thrown at to prop myself up to give my body the few minutes it needed to properly heal itself.

"So, you must be wondering why to lost. Well... it's simple. Fuuinjutsu," I spit out painfully. The punctures in my lungs weren't quite healed.

"What... does...seals...have...to...do...with...this," Tsunade mumbled in the dirt.

"The seal on your forehead to be precise. As you may or may not know, Uzumakis are generally seal masters. I simply noticed that your seal, which is pretty shoddy because seriously you must be the only person too ever forget to put a protection seal on your seal to stop people from fucking with your seal, was able to be easily modified by _anyone._

So when you activated it, I just had clones send small blasts of chakra around your feet that were really what I call ephemeral seals. These seals last only for a moment and aren't corporeal, so there fore unable to be stopped unless you also know how to use ephemeral seals. I created ephemeral seals so... chew on that.

Anyway, the seals can only become lasting if they attach to a physical seal. I simply directed them to your seal. Make the seals weight, slow, and weakness seals and we get a defeated Sannin. It also helps that those three seals are the easiest and quickest seals to make, and currently the only seals I can make into ephemeral seals," I jumped to my feet at the last word of my rant and walked over to Tsunade.

I released the seals and Tsunade's head seal returned to the weird diamond shape. I lowered my hand and she grasped it. As I helped her up, the woman angrily muttered to herself about, "stupid Gakis," and, "their blasted seals." She then dug into her cleavage and grabbed something before pulling her hand back out. In her hand was the necklace. She slipped it from around her neck and stepped towards me and put it around mine. Strangely, her facial expression turned... nostalgic and Tsunade spoke, quietly and somberly, "Here you go Naruto...my newest apprentice." then before I could do anything she grabbed me by both shoulders. I closed my eyes waiting to be thrown or ripped in half.

Instead, two soft lips planted themselves on my forehead. I guess I really did win.

…...Later that day...

After a long conversation with Shizune, and weirdly enough, TonTon, Tsunade told me to return to my client. She also said to expect her in a week in Konoha to grab me for some, "training," I believed she called it.

As I made my way back to the hotel, I was met with a horrific sight. Two men in black coats that were covered with red clouds were surrounding Mikoto. I completely ignored the two men and ran straight for Mikoto, forty clones of mine engaging the two strange men. I grabbed Mikoto who I had noticed now as I carried her bridal style was bleeding extremely bad.

I had to find Tsunade. As I ran, I saw behind me a large flamboyant man with white hair begin to engage the two. Better him than me.

…...A few hours later...

A red light blinked on and off.

On and off.

On and off.

Tsunade had told me she would be fine in a week. She had also told me she had found a large and strange seal in her pocket and had asked me to look at it. One glance had told me it was my father's work. Two glances told me it was a, "slave" seal. I didn't need to be a genius for this. Mikoto didn't have a client in Tanzaku town. She had a target to place a seal on.

For the past four hours I had just glared at the damn seal and felt my heart ache. The one woma... no she wasn't a woman. She was my father's lap dog like every other shinobi in Konoha. Like what I was supposed to be. This one lap dog I had trusted, and now the trust was gone. I wondered who I could trust.

If I couldn't trust Mikoto, could I trust Kurenai, or Hinata. Could I trust Tsunade.

The truth was, I didn't know. I couldn't even trust myself. Seals could change my mind, the beast in my stomach could plot and turn me in directions I never would have followed.

I was just so tired of it all. The lies, the abuse, the secrets. My dreams of getting revenge was so swathed in the ilk I couldn't see it. I... just didn't know anymore. I had looked at the seal intently after the first three glances. The seal was magnificent in it's design. There simply wasn't a chance for it fail. It could only be altered by my father. It could only be removed by my father. It teleported my father to me if it failed.

The seal was simply unbelievable. The seal in a few words would make me the perfect son. I would retain my best features such as my strength. I would gain new ones such as a love for Konoha and my family. I would lose ones such as my memories of abuse, of my hatred, of my reasons for revenge.

I almost wanted to put the seal on myself. At least then I would be loved, even if it is false. I would have a family, even if the family wasn't true. I wouldn't be alone...NO! I jumped to my feet. I wasn't this weak. I didn't need this seal. I ripped the seal to shreds and threw it into a trash can and stalked from the room. I didn't know where I would go, I just knew it would be somewhere.

…... Sasuke's perspective...

I watched Narumi patter about the room. Carefully sifting through Itachi's room with the greatest of care. I had never seen the girl act so careful. I decided to glance around myself rather then stand there like an idiot. It had taken long hours of careful sneaking to get into my brother's room.

For the next few minutes the room was silent except for the nearly silent breathing of Narumi and I and the quiet searching. I was just about to give up when I noticed a cold draft that came from under Itachi's bed. I knelt down and looked underneath the small twin bed and found a small hatch with a metal knob on it.

"Over here, Narumi," I stuttered through clenched teeth. I felt like a little boy again when I had found out my brother was dead. The two of us moved Itachi's bed and Narumi lifted the hatch. Under the trap door we saw a few rungs that plunged downwards into the darkness.

Narumi simply began climbing downwards and I followed. A few minutes later and the two of us reached a small room of concrete. The only thing in the room was a short pedestal with a slim book on it. I tip toed towards cautiously watching for traps before grabbing the book.

I then slipped back over to Narumi and we left the dark and dank room. Once we were back in Itachi's room and had replaced the bed to the original spot, we sat side by side, hip to hip and opened the book. The first page read, "Uchiha Itachi," in flowy script.

The next page was filled with what I assumed was Itachi's writing.

_If this is being read, then I am dead and my __plan has begun. To whomever discovers this, keep these secrets to yourself for if they were to go abroad, the village would be torn asunder._

_ The Uchiha clan has always been a powerful and prestigious clan. Long before it had __become a clan and__ fought with the Senju, __the__line__ had been special. The very first Uchiha was the eldest Son to a line that was lost long ago. The very first Senju the youngest son to that very same line. Their father was The Sage. The Sage has had many names, but for continuity I shall simply put The Sage when I refer to him._

_ The Sage was known for defeating the Juubi and sealing it within himself. But The Sage didn't conquer the beast alone. His brother had aided him. For he and his brother were the second and third people alone in the world at that time that were able to use chakra. Only those two, and their long dead mother could use chakra. The chakra had come from the Shinju tree, a primordial god who produced a single fruit every thousand years._

_ The mother of The Sage ate it to gain chakra and end the wars that plagued her lands and all the lands around her. This however angered the Shinju. The Shinju created the Juubi to punish the mother for eating the fruit. Shortly after the mother's children had left home to discover the lands, the Juubi came and killed the mother._

_ This is where the story most know happens. The Sage defeats the Juubi and seals it and goes on to give chakra to the world. Then The Sage splits the Juubi into the nine biju we all know today. __The Sage has children, the first Uchiha and the first Senju. The Sage on his death bed rather than make the Uchiha the heir to his line told his children to share the line as co-rulers._

_ This is where the Uchiha and Senju split. The Uchiha child who was born with great spiritual energy wanted to be the sole heir. The Senju child who was born with great physical energy also wanted to be the sole heir. This lead to the two children fighting for many years._

_ Eventually the two ended up forming clans and having many children. After a few hundred years these two clans, Uchiha and Senju, had become bitter rivals and the two progenitors of the clan were long dead. But as the two clans prospered, a third clan became weak and spiteful. The original clan of The Sage. The Sage's brother had a single child. This single boy would eventually build his own clan, the clan of Uzumaki. The Uzumaki were gifted with the ability of longevity. This longevity had allowed the first Uzumaki to live for nearly four hundred years and make a vast and powerful clan._

_ But the Uchiha and Senju had both hated the Uzumaki also being related to their father and had attempted to kill every single Uzumaki. This lead to the almost destruction of the Uzumaki. With this extermination almost complete, the clan hid away on an island and had used seals to make whirlpools to stop the Uchiha and Senju. These very whirlpools saved the Uzumaki clan._

_ But the Uzumaki wanted revenge. The Uzumaki were the spark that started the clan wars. In a fitful rage the Uzumaki set every clan against the Uchiha and Senju. But rather than kill the two clans, it simply made the two clans work together and eventually form the first Shinobi village, Konohagakure._

_ The Uzumaki then decided to make their own village and become friends with Konohagakure. The first two shinobi world wars their last attempts at killing the Uchiha and Senju. __This eventually whittled away the Senju to a few dozen but the Uchiha still__thrived. __But alas, the village of Kirigakure laid siege and killed all but two Uzumaki. Those Uzumaki were Mito Uzumaki __and Kushina Uzumaki. Mito at the time was well into her one hundreds and Kushina just a mere five year old._

_ The years past, Kushina Uzumaki married the fourth Hokage and had two children, Naruto Uzumaki and Narumi Uzumaki. This is where my knowledge is lost._

_I do not know what was done to put Naruto on the path of vengeance, on the true path of the Uzumaki, but he was. Who his vengeance was toward, I do not know. But what I do know is that I will help him..._

The words stopped there. Not because Itachi had stopped writing but because the last forty or so pages were ripped from the book.

I glanced at Narumi.

"We need to speak to..." Narumi began.

"Naruto," we both said at the same time.

**An: That was fine. Tell me how you liked the Tsunade/Naruto fight. I though it was ok. More in depth story happened. Anyway, review and rant.**

** Ole' Mad.**


	9. Chapter 7 To leave or Not

** An: Next chapter, let's roll. So, first of all I want to THANK everyone for all the reviews. All most all the reviews I read for chapter 7.5 said that they loved it or liked it, or other many various ways to say that. I was really surprised. I thought that whole chapter was a mess of jumping because I couldn't write a decent, straight up fight between Naruto and Tsunade.**

** The reason I am horrible about fights is because all I really want to do is just have Naruto go nine tails and kill everything. I don't mean nine tails chakra mode, but like the legit tails that Naruto almost got when he fought pein. I mean seriously, four tails Naruto kicked Orochimaru's ass and that was dumb as shit, weak ass Naruto. My Naruto is not that.**

** Anyway, rant over, read the chapter.**

**Ps: Incest is Wincest! ( just kidding) but seriously, so many animes have the sisters of a character hopelessly in love with their brother.**

** CHAPTER EIGHT: TO LEAVE OR NOT TO LEAVE**

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

I glared at the stupid machine hooked to Mikoto.. I mean Uchiha-San. After running out earlier and destroying several trees I had returned to the room. To this damn, stupid, tiny, bullshit of an excuse for a woman. This one woman who I couldn't help think of as a mother.

I gripped my skull, my eyes wide as I sat in a corner of the room. As far as I could tell, I had two choices. To leave or to stay. If I stay, Minato may attempt to seal me again. If I leave I would have nowhere to go and no goal. I dug my fingers harder into my scalp. Sweat dripped down my uncovered face.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't know who to trust. My goal was so far away I couldn't even see it anymore. I was strong, yet weak. Every power I could muster was given by Itachi or some other person. What had I made for myself, some worthless seals. I scoffed, that would definitely defeat Minato who was a master of the art.

Even my teachers, my allies, all either lap dogs of the Hokage or people I couldn't create contingency plans for. I may have beat Tsunade once, but that was only because of her seal she had on her forehead. If I hadn't seen it, I would have lost, possibly died.

It was just so unfair. Why was I unloved, why was I forgotten, why was I hated. Why did Narumi get all the love, why was she so adored, why in this godforsaken world did I have to kill Itachi. Just questions after questions, I just didn't understand any of it.

I wondered for a moment how Hinata was. Hinata... I didn't understand my connection to her. I didn't love her. I don't even know what love is, though I guess whatever I had held for Itachi was the closest I ever came. But, I felt drawn to her. Like, she was important for some reason or the other.

I shook my head. Hinata was not the topic. I glanced towards Mikoto, a sick thought entering my head. I slipped some ink and a brush from my pouch. It had to be done. It was the only way.

…...Kyuubi's perspective...

WHAT WAS HE DOING! THIS WAS NOT THE PLAN! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE! TO LEAVE KONOHA AND HEAD FOR UZUGAKURE! WHY WAS HE MAKING A SEAL! THIS WAS ALL WRONG!

This was not the plan, this was not the what was supposed to happen. Why did my love have to be such a bull-headed child. It was so simple.

Tell the boy I could give him power. Convince to have a pact with me through a kiss and a sucking of blood. Using the pact, make him think my powerful chakra had made him a half-demon, when really I just had made it easier for my chakra to heal him and influence him. Have the pact form the Seal of Two on his neck.

Have him discover Hinata, and then in turn confront his father. Have the boy realize he has to leave Konoha. Have him head to Uzugakure to begin step three. But no, the boy has to develop feelings for people, to develop thoughts! The damn Uchiha had to plant the eye in my container, to plant the seed! To plant Damnation!

Now my plan was falling apart and I hadn't even begun part three! I growled lowly. When I returned to the world, every Uchiha was dead.

…...Naruto's perspective...

I finished the last stroke. Now... now Mikoto wouldn't remember me. She would forget about me and only take care of her family. She would also tell Minato his seal had failed because the Kyuubi's soul had prevented any further seals from being added to myself. A contingency of sorts, no memories and a path to end my fathers wish to seal me further.

Even I could admit the flaws. Who said Minato would believe her. Who said Mikoto wouldn't remember. It all hinged on tiny possibilities and my own lonely soul grasping at straws that don't exist.

I stood up and channeled chakra to my right hand. I had created the seal on the bottom of Mikoto's tongue. No one would see it there. I pressed a finger to the seal and it lit up brilliantly before seemingly sinking into the flesh it was drawn on.

I sighed, my fingers clawing my hair. I just... just... what was I supposed to do now. Was I supposed to learn from Tsunade? Or was I supposed to keep quiet and continue to learn nothing from Kurenai? Hell, who said I was supposed to do anything?! This was all just shit!

_"__Shhhhhhhhh, it's ok brother. Let me take the wheel for awhile. I will help you..."_

"Who's there?" I whispered, glaring around me for the perpetrator.

_"You know who I am. I even helped out in the battle with our new Sensei."_

"Show yourself!" I declared vehemently.

_"As you wish..."_

I collapsed to the floor at that very moment. My eyes closed and I couldn't fight unconsciousness any longer.

…...Naruto's mind-scape...

I jumped to my feet. I was back in my mind-scape. But, Kyuubi was no where to be seen. Nor was her cage. This was unusual, especially for the Kyuubi.

I took a step forward.

Click.

I took another step.

Click.

Something was strange. I glanced down. There was no water. No wonder my shoes were making such a loud sound when they stepped. There was always at least an inch of water. That' another difference to add to the list.

_"__Brother... quickly, you're getting closer."_

I ran in the direction of the voice. Where was the origins of it!

_ "__Faster brother... before the beast escapes..."_

_ "Please brother... I wish to see the light with my own eyes..."_

I ran faster. Soon I came to a corner and rounded it at full speed. As soon as I turned it I stopped dead. There was a door. A small, black, wooden door.

I started walking towards, each step a steady stream of words entering my brain.

_"__Yesss... brother, come closer so we can finally... meet... face to face..."_

_ "I have waited for this day for so long... we have much to discuss...'_

_ "I know so much...this knowledge that she has kept from you..."_

_ "Please... I beg you brother... walk faster..."_

_ "Brother... quickly... we have such little time..."_

_ "Open... the door..."_

It was as the mysterious voice said that, that I finally grabbed the door knob to the room. I twisted it and it turned smoothly without nary a sound. I pulled the door open and slipped in.

The room was pitch black. I could see nothing. Then the door slammed behind me. I turned around and tried to find the door. It was gone! Doors don't just disappear.

_"__Come brother... you're so very close...simply find the switch"_

I carefully padded about the room, weary of traps or objects that could trip me. My fingers slid along the walls searching for a light switch. After about two minutes, I estimated the amount of time, I found a light switch. I flicked it.

…...Kushina's perspective...

I was certain now. It had to be someone's doing. This was the seventh time I had completely reviewed my memories. At some point in the early years of my parenting someone had laid a genjutsu or something to ruin my son's life. It was the only explanation.

But who could have done it?! That was the question. Why would anyone deliberately sabotage my child's life. Why would they cause him to be scorned?

My first guess had been Kyuubi. It had the amount of chakra to sustain the jutsu until everyone simply followed it's purpose without the use of the jutsu.

But I knew that couldn't be the person responsible. It may have played a role in the whole situation, but it couldn't have been the origin of this plan. The reason I had deduced this was because the Kyuubi had been trapped in me for good long time. Then the one night I was giving berth, the man had shown up. He killed the guards and the people helping me.

He had then released the Kyuubi and took Naruto leaving me to push out Narumi with no assistance. But Minato had said he had killed the man and got Naruto back and I believed him. I was so confused. I didn't know who was to blame.

It was just all so horrible!

…...Naruto's perspective...

The single dim bulb's light lit up the room. On a wooden chair in the center of the room was me. Yet it wasn't me. The eyes were a far darker blue than mine had ever been. The same locks of blond were paler, as if they held no life. The clothes, despite their identical looks were somehow faded.

"You're me?" I questioned

_ "We all are," _my clone replied. As he spoke those words two more clones of me appeared from thin air.

The one to the left of the sitting clone was kyuubified. That's the only way to explain it. It was me, but the red eyes with slits as pupils, the more bestial hair, the darker whiskers, and tail of chakra flicking back and forth made quite a difference.

The one to the right was definitely the strangest. One eye was my Sharingan, but blue with prolonged tomoe and a crescent as the pupil. The other eye was semi-normal. It had the white part of any normal human eye but the iris was golden with purple and red flecks dotting it. Above both eyes were orange and black pigments.

"You all are... me?" I said.

_ "Well," _the one sitting spoke_, "We are your counterparts I guess you could say. Think of it as having multiple egos. We are your alter egos. You actually have millions of us, they just aren't nearly as powerful as the four people, the four Narutos, in this room. While we are technically you, we have our own differences that make us stand out enough to form a conscious state. To think for ourselves if you will._

_ I am what you would call Yami Naruto. The dark you, really. I have always been here. Every time someone injured you, forgot you, abandoned you, I took the brunt of the pain and left you with the want for revenge. For everyone who has been wronged seeks revenge, seeks payment for the wrongs dealt to them._

_ To my left is the Kyuubi Naruto. _

_ To my right is the Uchiha Naruto. _

_ What I really need to tell you is to not speak or deal with the kyuubi anymore. It's lying to you."_

"How is she lying to me? What do you mean?" I asked.

"_It's not a she. It has no sex. It lies. It may have once been a summon __of the female gender__, but now all that is left is the demon chakra," Yami Naruto growled._

"But what is this demon chakra? Explain it to me!" I thundered.

_"__Calm down brother, we all wish for the same thing. To put it succinctly, when The Sage of Six Paths was dieing he knew he had to stop the Juubi from returning," Yami Naruto began._

"What is this Juubi?" I murmured.

_"__The Juubi, or the Ten tails if you will, was a powerful being sent to kill The Sage for various reasons that I don't quite know simply because neither you nor the Kyuubi knows. Anyway, The Sage split the monster into nine wells of demon chakra. But with nothing to hold the chakra, the nine wells would eventually recombine to each other._

_ So The Sage devised a cunning plan. He somehow threw the wells of power into the thread of time and fate. This thread of time and fate is what connects everything to time and determines the many fates that every being, every rock, every single atom could possibly have. I would speak more on that but it leads to multiple universes and we simply do not have the time._

_ As I was saying though, The Sage threw the wells of power in and the powers found suitable hosts. That was how the Kyuubi was formed. Then The Sage drew the nine wells of power, and their respective hosts back to himself in his little niche of time. The powers, having mutated their hosts, had also created new consciousnesses in the beings._

_ This is how we have nine biju. Each biju was made from the Juubi who was made of Demon Chakra. Who ever had made the Juubi obviously had the ability to summon demons from Hell and use their energy and combine that energy with chakra._

_That is what Demon Chakra is._

_ Now, to return to the topic. Kyuubi is made of Demon Chakra and doesn't hold any real gender. But the point of this conversation is to not trust it!_

_ It had told you that you were a half-demon! It lied! You are just far more under her control than before! It's powers it supposedly gave you! Lies! The only thing you gained was easier use of it's chakra and the Sennin mode! There are no other powers! Everything it hasn't told you, we heard! We heard it all!_

_ It plans to make you it's mate and then escape! It wants to escape and kill Minato. But for it to escape, you have to be completely under it's control! But we stopped it's plan. You didn't head to Uzugakure like it wanted. You sealed Mikoto! Now we can finally control ourselves! No outside influences, demon or otherwise!"_

"What would you have me do? Minato will surely seal us if we go back to Konoha!"

_"It's simple. Let him."_

"What!" I exclaimed.

"Why would I let him do that! That means we won't get our revenge!" I cried out.

_"I said let him because it won't work. Minato didn't fully understand the Shiki Fujin when he placed it on us. No other seals can be attached to us. The Shiki will simply destroy it. Minato messed with Gods and Gods do not like tampering __or being controlled__."_

"So, is there anything else?" I asked, quite skeptical of all of this.

_"Yes, speak to __us__ after the Chunin exams. __We __should have enough energy to block Kyuubi out again for another conversation. Remember don't trust it!"_

"I understand, but how do I know I can trust you three?" I glared at my alter-egos.

_"That is also simple. You just have too. If you can't trust your self, then who can you trust?" _

…_..._Naruto's perspective real world...

I sat up from my fallen position on the floor. I had made my choice and would stick with it. I would go back to Konoha.

…... Three weeks later...

I jumped over Tsunade's fist and threw my own now earth shattering punch.

After the debacle that had happened in Tanzaku town, we had returned to Konoha within two days. Tsunade showed up the day after and immediately started training me in all she knew, and let's just say she knows a lot.

I had never learned so much in such a little time. Every day from 4 am to midnight was medical training, fighting, jutsu, Sennin mode practice, and just about every other thing I know. Everything was reviewed, practiced, taught, and retaught with an enormous amount of shadow clones. The things were damn useful. In the two weeks I had been training with Tsunade I had become far more powerful than I ever thought I could become by myself.

With the help of the Sannin, I also practiced using my Sharingan which she had discovered in our bet fight. The woman had promised to keep my secret, but I was worried. I was thinking of how to get a seal on her that would force her to keep the secret. I just couldn't think of a way.

Now with a week left before the Chunin exam's third exam, Tsunade was testing everything I know to see if I was worthy of something. No matter how much I asked, she wouldn't tell me what she was going to give or tell me. It was actually really driving me nuts.

…...Narumi's perspective...

I chewed on my bottom lip. This was really hard. For almost the whole month my Kaa-San had been training me. After nearly a week had gone by she had decided to teach me what I was attempting now. For nearly an hour I had been performing this exercise and I was tired, hungry, and still hadn't seen my nii-san.

That was what was bothering me the most. Even though my nii-san had returned to Konoha, I hadn't even seen him once. It was really quite annoying. Also after Sasuke-teme and I had discovered his aniki's book, he had just disappeared along with Kakashi. I had even asked Sakura what had happened and she said that they went on a training trip for the Chunin exam's third exam.

I puffed and released the technique. It was really draining. On my way out of the dojo my mother and I were using, my mother grabbed me by my arm and pulled me into a hug. I hugged back, still thinking of the weird conversation I heard her have with father.

After that I just wondered around Konoha looking for something to do. To my surprise, I found just that.

It was as I passed a tea shop that I spotted Hinata Hyuuga. She was sitting alone and sipping tea, staring at something. I slipped in super stealthily and crept up behind her. I looked over her shoulder and nearly snorted in laughter. On the table was a piece of paper with some words on it written in delicate script.

The words were:

_Hinata Uzumaki_

_ Naruto & Hinata Uzumaki_

_ Mr. & Mrs. Uzumaki_

_ Hinata Namikaze_

_ Naruto & Hinata Namikaze_

I couldn't hold myself any more after that one. I belted out laughing causing many people to stare. Hinata herself looked like she had a heart attack as she scrambled to grab the paper and hide it.

I shuffled over to a chair opposite of her and collapsed.

"So Mrs. Uzumaki? How are you doing?" I barely snorted out.

Hinata's face grew tomato red before replying with a quick, "Fine Narumi-San."

"Soooooo," I drew out the 'O' sound, "Someone has a crushhhhhhhhh!"

"Shhhhh! Why are you so loud Narumi-San?" Hinata asked, embarrassed.

"But," I leaned over the table and smushed Hinata's cheeks together, "You're sooooo cute."

I sat back down after Hinata pried my fingers off. "I mean seriously, ole teammate of mine, you got the big knockers guys love," Hinata blushed as I emphasized my words by squeezing my own breasts, "You are really pretty and easily pull off the Hime look," another blush, "And my brother seems to really like you."

"But, Narumi-San, Naruto-Kun likes you, I'm sure. You are his sister after all. Besides, no-one would want a pale weird-o like me. I mean I don't have any pupils. Just plain white eyes," Hinata spoke quietly.

After that statement a waiter showed up and said, "Can I get you two anything?"

"Some Sake and Dango, please!" I then pointed at my Shinobi headband on my forehead when he appeared as if he wanted to say something about the choice of beverage. The man walked off after quickly writing the order down. I smiled, I loved being a Ninja.

"Pshhh, you lie. If anything, your father is probably beating away boys with sticks. Besides, with my red hair and the Hokage as my daddy, not a lot of potential boyfriends. Not that I'd date any of them, I only got one boy in mind," I happily exclaimed.

"Um... if you don't mind me asking, who is it?" Hinata asked.

It was as Hinata asked that question that the waiter laid down two plates with Dango and two Saucers full of Sake.

"Well," I drawled, "He is strong and handsome. His hair is long and I just want to touch it. He wears black and has the prettiest blue eyes. I'm sure you know him. He's just so... Awesome!" I did a small jump in excitement.

"Ano, Narumi-San... do you like Naruto-Kun?" Hinata inquired.

"I course I like my Nii-San," I took a large gulp of Sake.

"No," Hinata daintily sipped her own Sake, "i mean do you like like him?"

"Well," I spoke, "what if I do? Would you mind _sharing?_"

"What!" Hinata shouted, surprised by what I said no doubt.

"I said," I slurred after taking another large gulp of Sake, "Would-You-Mind-Sharing-My-Brother?" I carefully enunciated each word.

"But, Narumi-San, isn't that incest?" Hinata asked, looking scandalized. She even gave up her manners and took a large draft of her own liquor.

"So? He's so nice, and awesome, and strong, and just AMAZING! How could you not want him?" I deliberated my words.

"Well, I do want him..." Hinata cooed almost silently before drinking another large chug of her Sake.

"So," I persuaded, "Why not share him with me? Then we could both have his awesome-ness to ourselves."

"Well... I... I just don't know Narumi-San," Hinata hiccuped mid-sentence.

I stood up, plodded my way over to her and grabbed her by the arm. After throwing down some cash for our half eaten Dango, I pulled her outside. Once we were out in the sunlight, I guided her to an alley where we wouldn't be seen.

...Hinata's perspective...Warning: Semi-Sexual content. You have been warned...

Where was Narumi-San leading me. My thoughts felt so slow, like I was walking through mud. The sunlight kind of hurt my eyes in a pleasurable way. Then after being lead far into a back-alley, Narumi whirled around and grabbed me by the shoulders.

Before I could say anything, she roughly shoved her lips onto mine. Her tongue shoved it's way into my mouth and I couldn't help but feel confused. This was wrong but I liked it. I relaxed into the kiss. Suddenly Narumi-San pulled away.

"Don't think of me as you kiss me, think of Naruto-kun," her words were soft and silky, her breath thick with the scent of alcohol.

Then her tongue pervaded my mouth again. I thought of Naruto-Kun. I imagined this was his tongue writhing around my mouth. I imagined it was his arms holding me close. I saw with clarity in my mind his lips brushing against mine. I couldn't help but slightly moan.

Narumi-San suddenly pulled back. "Hey Hinata?"

"Yes, Narumi-San?" I answered breathlessly.

"Mind-sharing now?"

"Nope." was my simple reply.

…...Naruto's perspective... two days before before Chunin exams...

I walked silently within the forest. Every place I looked there was flowers blooming and birds chirping. A rabbit ran hastily back to it's home as I passed by. I didn't know how I got here, or where here was but it was very peaceful.

As I walked along I heard a woman singing. The words were:

(Japanese version has a one, English has a 2)

_1 So... hitotsu-me no yoru ni  
izuko kara koishi ga sekai ni ochiru  
_

_2 So... On the first night,  
a pebble falls to the earth from somewhere.  
_

_1 So... futatsu-me no yoru ni  
koishi no ko ga te wo tori WARUTSU wo kaku  
Sound life  
_

_2 So... On the second night,  
The pebble's children hold hands and sketch a waltz.  
Sound life  
_

_1 So... mitsu-me no yoru ni  
WARUTSU no ko wa yonamo ni UE-BU wo utsu  
_

_2 So... On the third night,  
The children of the waltz cause ripples on the face of the world  
_

_1 So... yotsu-me no yoru ni  
nami no ko wa kishibe ni shibuki wo ageru  
Sound life  
_

_2 So... On the fourth night,  
the children of the wave spray the shore.  
Sound life  
_

_1 So... itsutsu-me no yoru ni  
sono kakera ikudomo yonamo wo tataku  
_

_2 So... On the fifth night,  
those shards strike the face of the earth over and over.  
_

_1 So... mutsu-me no yoru ni  
sono aizu ni tabibito wa tsudoiau  
Sound life  
_

_2 So... On the sixth night,  
those signals bring travellers together.  
Sound life  
_

_1 So... nanatsu-me no yoru ni  
omosa no nai fune wa sora e to hashiru  
_

_2 So... On the seventh night,  
a weightless ship races to the sky.  
_

_1 So... yatsu-me no asa ni  
izuko kara no uta ga mimi e to todoku  
Sound life  
_

_2 So... On the eighth morning,  
a song from somewhere reaches my ears.  
Sound life  
_

_1 saa... atarashii sora ni  
subete wo shirushita kumikyoku ga hibiku  
Sound life  
Sound life_

_2 Well then... A song that has recorded everything  
echoes to the new sky.  
Sound life  
Sound life_

As the words filtered through the air I smiled for the first time in a long time. I felt happy. I didn't quite understand the meaning of the song, but it felt refreshing. That was the only way to describe.

I continued walking towards the source of the song. But as I drew closer to the source, the sky darkened and the trees grew gnarled and twisted. The woodland creatures disappeared and were replaced by circling vultures. Yet, the song persisted and I felt no discomfort from the dark surroundings.

Each step towards the origin of the beautiful sound caused the world to deform more. Then whispers began to come from nowhere. Angry voices yelling insults and harsh opinions. I walked on, the only thing holding my attention was the voice.

When I finally reached the clearing, the scenery all reverted within a blink of an eye. In the center of the large field a blond haired woman sat on a stump, having begun to repeat her song from the beginning. As I tried to near her, the words of the song slowly fade while two words began to become louder and more deafening.

Wake up.

_1 So... itsutsu-me no yoru ni  
sono kakera ikudomo yonamo wo tataku  
_

_ Wake up._

2 So... On the fifth night,  
those shards strike the face of the earth over and over.

WAKE UP.

_1 saa... atarashii sora ni  
subete wo shirushita kumikyoku ga hibiku  
Sound life  
Sound life_

2 Well then... A song that has recorded everything  
echoes to the new sky.  
Sound life  
Sound life

WAKE UP!

I flew out of my bed and whirled around the room until my feet planted themselves against the ceiling with Chakra. Down below was Tsunade looking amused, a small smile on her face.

"Come on Naruto. I have something for you," Tsunade said cheerfully.

With that, Tsunade slipped out of the small bedroom she was letting me borrow for awhile. This bedroom was one of the many rooms in the Senju clan compound. As the numbers of the clan diminished, the clan leader at the time kept constantly down-sizing the facility. Despite that though, a small district still remained for the greatly respected clan.

I followed after Tsunade and wondered what she could want. After several minutes of following the woman, we made it to an office building on the Senju grounds. Tsunade walked in and I followed her. Through the empty floors, we headed up to the fifth one. Then we headed towards an office.

Within the office was a desk that looked like it had been used recently.

"Please sit down, Naruto," Tsunade said graciously.

"What am I hear for Tsunade-Sensei?"

"I'll get to that, I promise. What I wanted to ask was, do you like living on the Senju grounds?" Tsunade questioned.

"Err, yes, very much Tsunade-Sensei," I replied.

"Do you respect the Senju clan, and the memories this clan's name holds?" Tsunade asked.

"Err, yes, I do," was my simple reply.

"Do you enjoy my company, Naruto, more so than just as a Sensei, but of a more familial relationship?" Tsunade stared intently once she finished the question.

"I do, Tsunade-Sensei, I truly do," was my serious answer.

"Then," Tsunade stood up and walked around the desk. When she stood directly opposite of me, she dropped down into a low formal Japanese bow and presented a document in her hands, "I, Senju Tsunade, formally bequest you, Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, to sign this document and to become my son and sole heir to the Senju name, Senju Naruto."

I stared in shock at Tsunade. She wanted me to be her son! She wanted me. She wanted me... "Yes! Yes, I accept!" I grabbed a pen and the document and quickly signed it. While I did so, Tsunade stood up gracefully and then took the document.

"If you wish, you may retain one of your two last names. I would rather you not choose Namikaze though," Tsunade added.

"I'll have my name be Senju-Uzumaki Naruto,... Mother," I tasted the word. It just seemed right.

"Well, Senju-Uzumaki Naruto, I have some paper work to fill out, but by the end of this day you shall be my son," Tsunade smiled beautifully, her eyes lighting up. Before I could react, she swept me up into a powerful hug. I flinched at the contact but due to how much she was shaking me, she didn't notice.

"My son," she whispered into my ear, "My son."

**An: ANNNND THAT****'****S A WRAP! So how was it, bad good, stupid, interesting? ****Tell me in a review. Also, if you recognize the song without looking it up, cookie to you.**


	10. Chapter 8 Insane

**An: I know the Tsunade-Naruto relationship was rushed... but it was all part of the plan. Read on my good readers!**

** Ps: Don't hate, just innovate and make a better story than me. That should be pretty easy, I'm a horrible author.**

** Pss: Story isn't NaruHina or NarutoxSister, that's them plotting... so I guess one-sided. Naruto at the moment is loveless and will most likely stay that way.**

** Psss: for the Tsunade/Naruto fanboys/fangirls, well... enjoy, it's not the pairing though, and this isn't alternate stuff. Naruto will still become Tsunade's Son.**

**Chapter 9: The psyche of a Sannin**

..Two days after Tanzaku town mission...(i.e. before Naruto has became Tsunade's son)..

I stormed through the door to enter the mission output. Mikoto trailed behind me, holding her head and groaning. The sight of me was probably forcing her memories to attempt to be remembered. I however had made the seal far too tight to be broken by mere sight of myself.

"MINATO!" I roared! Red chakra slowly began to waft from my body in a wispy smoke. I was furious. No, I was beyond furious! I was going to do something stupid and I couldn't find it within myself to care.

"Yes, son?" Minato asked questioningly.

I yanked the tattered seal that he had made from my pocket and threw it at his feet.

"This is what you resort to! A seal! You tried to seal me! This is why we will fight, why I hate you so much! This is why you must** DIE!"** I bellowed, my body completely covered in the Kyuubi's chakra.

Almost immediately a dozen Anbu surrounded me. I simply roared while flaring my killing intent and the guards around me crumpled and were blasted away. **_Use the power carefully brother, too much and the liar has too much control, too little and your point will be moot._**

****I ignored the voice. "Minato, I, as by right given by Shinobi laws since the founding of the village, legally declare emancipation from your family! I will not be your child! I am a Shinobi and that legally makes me an adult in this village! I shall legally handle my own affairs!" I stormed away at my final words, the kyuubi chakra disappearing with each step.

I wasn't going to be their son. I wanted a real family.

…...The very next day...

I awoke to the smell of cooking food. That was strange, because I remembered falling asleep on a park bench. I cracked my eyes open to see the dark wood of a well built house. A hearty scent of breakfast foods filtering in through the door. I, almost in a trance, followed the scent to the kitchen.

To my surprise, and my ninja mind's surprise, I didn't feel the need to be on guard. When I entered the kitchen, hovering over the stove was Tsunade of all people cooking eggs and hash. I walked slowly over to a nearby table, still half-asleep.

"How was your sleep, Naw- I mean Naruto?" Tsunade greeted cheerfully.

I still not quite awake barely noticed the slip up. "It was well, though I do believe I had fell asleep outside so... there's that."

"Well, on my way into town towards my old clan district, to my surprise, my apprentice was snoring away on a bench and looking like a bum. I couldn't allow that image to sully my name. So I just plucked you up and brought you here," Tsunade said, her face showing amusement.

This behavior was a real turn around from her grumpy drunk persona I had seen not two days ago. I suspected something was amiss, but decided to explore that avenue later. I was hungry, there was most likely not poisoned food being sat down in front of me, and it smelt delicious. Almost like... a meal... made...by...a...mother.

I shook my head, best not to think of those things. "Thank you Tsunade-Sensei," I spoke after taking a large bite of food and swallowing it. I knew my manners, and even if it was poisoned then the Kyuubi would take care of it.

"It's fine my little_ Deshi__(apprentice)__._ I used to cook for my Otouto(brother) all the time," Tsunade then promptly sat down and began to eat. I joined her and the two of us vigorously dug into our own respective meals.

"All right, time to train. Let's go, Naruto," Tsunade declared.

…...Late at night of that very same day...

I crawled into the bed of the room that Tsunade had lent me. It was quite comfy, far better than my old bed. I closed my eyes and fell asleep almost immediately. This was just so... right. I had a warm and comfy bed. I didn't have to feel rage and frustration every time I looked at anything, and I had someone who could finally really train me.

…...Deep and Dark part of Naruto's mind...

I was floating in darkness. Where was I? The last thing I remembered was letting myself be unleashed. I remembered using the Kyuubi chakra to attack that bitch Tsunade and then... Nothing. Just a blank.

"_Hello brother, how are you?" _I heard a voice say.

"Who is that? Where are you? Do not hide from Me!" I shouted, frustrated by the lack of knowledge of where I was and what had happened.

A face suddenly loomed a few inches from my own_. _The resemblance was spot on, not a single difference. The face was my own.

_"__I am you... now, as I said before, how are you?" _The voice said jeeringly.

"How is this possible?! Who are you really?!" I bellowed as I struggled to move my limbs.

_"Like I said before, I am you. But I am different all the same. I am the dark you, the Yami Naruto," _Yami Naruto grinned.

"But, how do you exist? Besides that, I want to know where I am and why I can't move?!" I was tired of this entire situation. I wanted to know what was happening and why.

_"Questions, questions, questions. Boy, dear brother, you are sure full of them. Lucky for you I have the answers. You see, I myself am an alter-ego of yours. Think of yourself as the master copy of __this body's __consciousness. You were born as the controller of this body and will always be the strongest copy._

_ I am your partner, the Yin to your Yang, the dark to your light. I, while never to be stronger than you however, though I am the second strongest copy and will always be so for one reason. I have been around just as long as you, and time equals power. As soon as you were born, I came into existence._

_ Now that the background information is established, I can explain better. There are millions of copies within you. Each are the little parts of you who thought the opposite of what you thought was better. Think of it like walking down a trail. You walk and walk and then suddenly there is a fork in the road._

_ At this fork you can either choose to take path A or path B. You choose to take path A, however a small part of you tells you that you should have taken path B. Now imagine that happening almost every second of every day. A lot of copies right?_

_ Anyway, regardless of the amount, these copies are so weak that they would never matter. But if they start combining themselves, well then they get more power. That's how more powerful copies are formed. When these copies become powerful enough to retain consciousness and speak with you is when they become __alter-__egos._

_There are currently only four alter-egos powerful enough to be heard. There is myself, Kyuubi Naruto, Uchiha Naruto, and... __H__im."_

"What does this all have to do with why I'm here, or what this place is?! Who is _him?" _I asked, becoming ever more confused.

_"I'm getting to that. Him is every single other copy of you __other than myself and the two other copies I mentioned__. Every single new one that is made is unconsciously sucked into him. Him is almost as powerful as me, and given enough time could eclipse you in power. But Kyuubi Naruto, Uchiha Naruto, and myself rather not have that occur and I doubt you do either._

_ Another cause for concern is that Him believes he is the real you. But the other two egos and I have a plan to allow you to absorb Him and return to control," Yami Naruto said debonairly. _

"That explains a lot, but that would mean this is my deep consciousness. That still doesn't explain why I'm here though, or why you would help me," I returned skeptically.

_"You are here because I, and the other egos, had no other way to inform you. Our reasons for helping you are simple, we want revenge against the world. Him would only lead to redemption and forgiveness. That simply shall not do, do you not agree brother?_

_ Anyway, another topic of discussion is the fact that Him is becoming all cozy with Tsunade of the Sannin. After your fight with her, which you won by the way, she made Him her apprentice. We however looked closer and discovered some rather devious ploys occurring," Yami Naruto grinned._

"Do pray tell," I asked. I needed to know all I could about what was happening in my body.

…...Sasuke's perspective...

Why was she on my mind. I hated her. Her annoying face, her loud personality, her everything. Yet... she was what occupied my thoughts. The red hair, the purple eyes. The budding body, the genuine care for other individuals, hell even her charisma held a certain allure.

It is true that I am a growing young man, but my mind has always been on more important matters. These matters pertain to avenging my brother, and making my clan proud and honoring them.

But ever since that day we searched my brother's room, not a single minute had gone by where Narumi did not fill my mind. The small smile that rested on her face. The genuine wonder when we read my brother's words. Just all at the fore front of my mind.

I had to find her. To ask her what she did to me. I simply couldn't like her, much less love. I barely knew the girl. But my body ached without her nearby and it wouldn't stop. It was all just so annoying!

…...Another night after a long day of training, Naruto's perspective...

My body shivered in pain and exhaustion. I had never felt so tired. Tsunade had me do so many exercises that I didn't think I would be able to make it here, much less climb into bed.

It was as I laid there, my body feeling comatose, that Tsunade walked in. She walked over stiltedly, her face looking strange. Tears made their way down her cheeks while the largest smile I had seen on her face was in place. She walked over and sat next to me.

Her fingers reached out tentatively and began to stroke my hair.

While she did this I started to hear a low noise. I strained my ears to find it's source before finding out it was Tsunade. She was saying something, though even with my advanced senses I couldn't hear it very well.

"My dear, Nawaki," I heard from Tsunade.

"You always did train too hard. Wanna know something funny, I met this boy named Naruto. Oh, he looks so much like you. His personality is a little similar too. One moment he will be all serious and angsty, then the next he acts like a care free child.

I even made him my apprentice. He is quite advanced, though what he plans to do with all the strength he has acquired, well that I do not know," Tsunade said happily.

Tsunade then leaned extremely close, her lips mere centimeters from my own.

"Nawaki, I missed you so much. I am glad you're back. Your sister has waited so long. I still remember the promise you made me make. I know you remember it, but I'll say it anyway. I promised to marry you when you came back to me. Of course, I didn't think you would come back.

The last time you spoke to me you were missing an arm and a leg. But now you're back and I will never let you go."

Tsunade then brushed her lips against mine before pulling away.

"I will keep you safe, Nawaki."

…...Real Naruto's perspective; deep mind space...

_"She has lost it. Full blown bonkers. You didn't see it, but I did. After Tsunade had her arm ripped off, she just lost her grip from reality. She may have gained an apprentice, but what happened to her last one. Well, it's quite horrible._

_ Him was asleep when she did it. Tsunade just walked over to Shizune, kunai in hand. One swift plunge and her life was gone. Then TonTon was next. The poor pig's throat slit before it could even run._

_You, we, all of us, must have unhinged her. Though it was Kyuubi Naruto who ripped her arm off. He has a bit of a bloodlust thing you know?_

_ But like I said, she's insane and thinks you are Nawaki. She knows you exist, and believes you exist separately, yet somehow believes you're Nawaki as well. It's really sad. The waste of talent."_

"Who is this Nawaki?" I asked.

_"__He was Tsunade's brother, killed in the Second Shinobi war," Yami Naruto replied._

"How did this all happen though? Why was I brought here?" I asked.

_"__Well, in your fight with Tsunade, you weren't quite strong enough so you used Sage mode. Then when that proved ineffective, and Tsunade's insults too grating, you used Kyuubi chakra. Well, when you activated the __Kyuubi__ chakra, Kyuubi Naruto became extremely more powerful than usual and was able to take over for the duration of the demon chakra, though I assure you he did not have the intention to do so._

_ When it ended however, you had already been forcibly knocked from control and that had sent you into a sort of mind shock that prevented you from immediately regaining control. So, your subconscious sent you here to heal. With no one in control, Him took it._

_ Now that you are awake though, we just have to rebuild your spiritual strength and when Him messes up we will have you absorb him and resume control."_

"Well, I guess we should plan. I have some time to kill, and then some people to kill," I said with finality.

…...Narumi's perspective...

I stretched before looking out over the village. I was dedicating this whole day to finding Naruto! I jumped off the building I was on and set off. I checked all the spots I used to see him go to. He wasn't there.

After hours of searching, jumping, and that awkward conversation with the old lady to assure her that I was wearing a bra, I was just about to give up. Then I found him. Just sitting under a tree, book in hand. It was weird, I had never seen Naruto look so content.

I quickly rushed over to him and sat really close to him, making sure my body was rubbing up against his. He said nothing and continued reading. I was just happy to be in such close contact to him. I smelt his odor, it was a mixture of oranges and trees. Yet, it was a strange smell, just homely in a sense.

"Narumi, what are you doing?" I heard Naruto say.

"I'm just hugging my Nii-San! What's wrong with that?" I returned, snuggling in deeper.

"Well, you have been doing so for seven hours and twenty-three minutes. I need to go home... I mean..." Naruto began to stumble with his words.

"Then let's go home then, I'm sure Kaa-San has cooked some awesome food!"I exclaimed.

"I'm afraid that's impossible, I can't go there anymore," Naruto said solemnly as he stood up.

"Why not?" I asked tears welling up in my eyes, I thought my Nii-San finally liked me again.

"It's simple, but not my secret to tell. Ask Minato, he'll tell you why. Well, demand that he doesn't lie. Just know that I have never hated you for what you did to me. Just what Minato and Kushina did," with that said, Naruto stalked away.

I ran home, the tears still threatening to burst. I wanted to know what was wrong with my Nii-San! But he wouldn't tell me, I couldn't find my answers myself, and no one would tell me. So I would just have to force them too.

I dashed inside to find my mother and father sitting at the table eating a small meal of noodles.

"Hello, Narumi," both of them chimed at the same time.

"Father, Minato! No lies! I want to know why Nii-San hates it here, why he hates us?!" I screamed, my tears finally making their way out. I wasn't going to play around. I wanted to know.

Minato sighed before standing up," Kushina, dear, can you take care of the dishes while I have a talk with Narumi."

"S-s-sure Minato-Kun. I will just take care of them. Hopefully you can explain what happened to my... son," Kushina then scurried from the room.

Minato then beckoned me to follow him towards his study. On the way there, I swiped at my face to get rid of the tears. When we reached his study, Minato went and collapsed in his large and plush chair. I sat down opposite of him.

"Well...Narumi. It's a long story' Minato began.

"It all started thirteen years ago on October tenth. It was on that day that the Kyuubi attacked the village. While it is generally believed that I killed it, that is not true. I merely sealed the beast into a child, well two. I sealed it into you and Naruto. This you know.

But I must have made a mistake, because just recently when I checked your seal for any demonic energy rather than if it was doing ok... well. There was abnormalities. There was zero presence of demonic energy. There hasn't been any, well ever. You are perfectly fine however. But the questions that arose from this find has lead me to believe that your brother holds all of the Kyuubi.

That is only the beginning of his problems. He has also always dealt with extreme abuse from the village and sadly myself and Kushina. But I promise you Narumi, on my title as Hokage and as a father, That I never meant to abuse Naruto intentionally.

Your mother and I have just recently uncovered that for some reason, genjutsu or just lack of awareness, that we have failed and nearly ignored Naruto for years. It was just after he was three or so that this began.

He just suddenly wasn't important anymore, just background information. But suddenly it was lifted. Your mother and I have noticed him again. Let me tell you, your mother and I are doing everything in our power to make amends, but it's simply impossible.

That's because the only reparations he said he will accept is my death."

I took a moment to process all of the information. I reflected on my memories, of all the times I had seen my Nii-San beat up, that sad look on his face as he stood several feet apart from me and our parents. The times when I saw the abuse happen and I said nothing.

I ran from the room and the house. I needed to beg forgiveness from my brother to apologize for what I had done!

…...Two weeks after Fake Naruto's training has begun...

I slid under the massive slug and slapped it's stomach. But as my fingers hit it, it split into hundreds of tiny slugs. I jumped away and swiped at my forehead to remove sweat. This training was insane. If I stopped moving for even a second, I could die.

I had to dodge again as Tsunade's fist landed where I previously was. I had to keep moving though as my dodge had activated subsequent traps. Each trap I triggered activated another trap.

I could feel the massive grin on my face. This was so much fun!

…...Later at night...Warning: Sexual stuff occurs...

Another long night of training. Another collapse into the best bed ever!

As I laid there though, I had a feeling in my gut something was watching me. I turned around on the bed and opened my eyes. I nearly screamed and leapt from my bed! Tsunade was just standing there, eyes wide and her mouth in a crooked smile. She was dressed in little more than some skimpy lingerie.

"What are you doing here, Tsunade?" I questioned.

"What are you talking about, Nawaki?" Tsunade questioned.

"I'm not Nawaki, Tsunade-Sensei," I replied.

"Quit playing around, Nawaki," Tsunade said as she inched forward, "You know what I was thinking? I was thinking that we should have a little fun," Tsunade licked her lips in what I guessed was anticipation.

Before I could react, Tsunade grabbed my shoulders in an iron grip and roughly shoved her lips onto mine. She forced my mouth open and I could feel her tongue writhing around in my mouth. I decided to go along with this until I could escape.

I let my tongue unleash it's counter-attack and then I was searching Tsunade's mouth. With the way Tsunade looked right now, it was like every boy who has ever lived ever wet dream. I flipped Tsunade over, not noticing the wisps of red chakra wafting from my body.

I grabbed Tsunade's chest and felt the large breasts as I struggled to figure out how to get out of this without having sex. Tsunade moaned in pleasure as I played with her. As I massaged I felt Tsunade's grip weaken. I sighed, I knew what I had to do.

I ripped Tsunade's thin bra off exposing Tsunade's hard nipples. I grabbed each breast and played with them more, the whole time thinking how fucked up this whole situation was. As soon as Tsunade's hands let go of my shoulders, I bolted from the room, Tsunade yelling, "Wait Nawaki! Don't leave me, I don't want to lose you again!"

I was already out the door when she finished that sentence.

…...Somewhere in an ever so dark cave...

"So master...are we going to find the boy? Are we going to tell him what occurs if he continues along his path?"

"Well child, it depends on whether he kills the female or not. If she doesn't die, then we will exist once more and the man shall not die. But... if the female dies by his hand, and he gains the white key. Well, then we will not be required at all."

"I see master. Shall we head to Konoha."

…...Back in Konoha: Hinata's perspective...

I thought of the Namikaze twins. They were all that my mind thought of anymore. I thought of my undying love for Naruto. Of how I just wanted him to ravage me forever. I thought of Narumi who had opened my to... the more interesting avenues.

But, I was still so unsure of whether he would love me. I had even done things I could never take back. I used the cage seal, became the powerful heiress my father wanted by becoming cold and power obsessed. But I did none of this for him. It was all for Naruto.

I sat down at a bench. I had been taking a walk and felt like sitting now. The night air was cool. It was as I was sitting there that I saw Narumi running towards me. I stood up and then immediately was tackled to the ground.

"Hinata! HINATA! You will never believe all the troubles my Nii-San has endured! We have to help him. We have to love him! Any possible way we can!" Narumi yelled hysterically.

"Calm down, Narumi. Tell me what has happened," I said as calmly as I could.

The two of us moved to the park bench and she explained everything that her father had told her. It was astonishing the abuse that Naruto went through. I felt my want for him rise even more. I wanted to comfort him, tell him he wasn't alone. It was so powerful I could barely sit there.

I jumped to my feet. "We need to find Naruto!" I exclaimed.

…...Kushina's perspective...

My son. My child. The first life I had brought into this world, ad he hated me.

He wanted my husband dead, he wanted me dead, and the worst part of all I couldn't blame. The reasons that lead to this mattered little at this point. Just the simple fact that I had failed him and now he wanted revenge was important.

I had tried so hard. Tried so very hard to find an excuse, something or someone to blame for it all. But each lead I followed always lead back to either me or Minato just not doing something we should have.

Every memory I had now that had any of my children felt stained, like someone had taken a piece of shit and wiped it on it. I felt dirty, I felt undeserving of the previously wonderful life I had held. Of the many privileges that I have lived with.

It hurt, it hurt to know that a part of me wanted to kill me. That my child, that one of the largest parts of my world wanted to end my life and see my blood leave my body. But I couldn't find any way else to allow my son the peace he seeks.

For the few weeks after I had found out I had just searched relentlessly for every fact. For hours on end I reviewed my memories, my Uzumaki heritage, and the Kyuubi. Everything I could search I did.

All of the information always lead back to the fact that even if it was a Genjutsu, that Minato and I had to somewhere within us had wanted Naruto to be punished the way he was. That was the way Genjutsus worked. They built on peoples feelings or memories. Their fears and hopes.

They took all these things and twisted them so as to hurt or trap the ensnared person. It was a sick truth. The sick truth that Minato and I had condemned our son.

…...Kurenai's perspective...

I had thought about this ever since the mission to wave. Ever since I had seen the Sharingan in my student's face. I wanted to know the story behind. I wanted to ask how he had received it and from who. Why he hid it and who else knew.

I had also though about how both my other students were hopelessly obsessed and in love with him. I could see their reasons. Even for a thirteen year old he was good looking, Definitely was going to be handsome when he was older. He had all the lonely bad boy qualities.

The bad attitude, the disrespect for authority, Sad background, and the dark clothing. He was very much a bad boy. But I had seen so much more. I had seen the power he held, the kyuubi's power unleashed, the care he took to heal people. How he easily could have let me die, but instead saved me twice.

I saw the sadness and anger brewing in his eyes, I had seen his real eyes. Everyday since then I had contemplated telling my on and off again boyfriend Kakashi. He had a Sharingan, he had a similar life with large power at a young age and strife from familial death.

But I felt if I had that I would break my student's trust, what little I had. I didn't really know what to do. If I should tell him, if I should say nothing. I I should speak with Naruto, or if I should say nothing.

It was so hard to figure out what to do. Then even more surprising, the boy had brought Tsunade back to the Konoha. He had been the talk of the two for the first few days after that. It was surreal to know the supposed bane of Konoha had returned one of it's most powerful heroes.

I sighed. This thinking hurt my brain. I wondered if Anko wanted to go drinking.

…...Naruto's perspective...

"So then it's settled then. Are we prepared?" I asked Yami Naruto.

_"Yes brother, our plan is a go." Yami Naruto returned with a devious smile._

**An: That's the end of the chapter. Slightly shorter than usual but you know what, Im tired of typing. My fingers hurt and my muse is napping. Half of this chapter was really hard to type and the Tsunade being insane was hard to make realistic. Tell me what the fuck I should fix.**

** Signed,**

**Ole' Mad**


	11. Chapter 9: Chunin Exams again

**Chapter 10**

** AN: What the hell! I'm not in school for a few months! Blasphemy! That's right, freaking summer break!(You all don't understand my dilemma, I will write sentence enhancers such as, "shit," and then suddenly change my mind to make the sentence less enhanced. Then I immediately change it back. It's a paradox). **

** I feel like my story is getting a bit troublesome to follow since I take a week between posts. So here is a rundown.**

**1. Prologue: Prologue**

**2. Chapter 1: Naruto back story and stuff**

**3. Chapter 2: Wave mission **

**4. Chapter 3: Forest of death training**

**5. Chapter 4: Half of chunin exams**

**6. Chapter 5: More Chunin exams, Minato and Kushina fucking up**

**7. Chapter 6: Naruto meets Tsunade, gets trapped in his mind. Fake Naruto takes over**

**8. Chapter 6.5: End of Tsunade meeting. Mikoto betrayal. All the mind egos and their mind fucks**

**9. Chapter 7: More Naruto mind fucks. Narumi and Hinata being sneaky**

**10. Chapter 8: Real Naruto is semi-back. Narumi and Sasuke do shit**

** That's all. I won't take any more AN... for the moment.**

** Ps: You'll never have to worry about NaruHina in this fic again *wink* *wink* (Evil laughter) Read the fiction.**

The day of the exam.

A day I had trained a solid three weeks for. The training spent of course with an insane Sannin. But I had two choices, say screw you unliterally, and train by myself, to Tsunade of the Sannin or utilize the sane part of Tsunade who wanted me as her son and train. I chose to train with the Sannin.

But now the day had come. It was a day of battles, of which none had me worried. I would easily best anyone in this exam. It was time for me to fight Narumi, my kin of blood, but neither family of mind or law.

As I walked towards the stadium, I thought of the matches. There was me vs. Narumi. There was Shikamaru vs Gaara. Then there was Hinata vs. Sasuke. After those three fights, the winner of fight one would fight the winner of fight two. Then to end the exams, the winner of fight three would fight the other last standing Genin.

1. Naruto Senju-Uzumaki vs. Narumi Namikaze-Uzumaki

2. Shikamaru Nara vs Gaara Sabaku

3. Hinata Hyuuga vs. Sasuke Uchiha

I entered the soon to be battlegrounds far before any other contestants. Only the workers, a few Shinobi to watch for cheaters who would "adjust" the arena to their advantage and foul play before the exam, and the early spectators. I made my way to the contestant box, It would be there that I waited two hours for the stadium to fill up.

It was as I stood alone that I felt an uncomfortable sensation. It was like someone was attempting to speak to me. I could faintly hear, "...fake...death...watch...today...real...control." Then the voice was gone, along with the sensation. I scratched my unmasked face before reassuring myself that the glasses I was wearing were still there.

As the minutes ticked by, I saw four of my the five unaccounted competitors filter in. Sasuke Uchiha remained nowhere to be seen. As my opponents made small talk, I focused on the only challenge I was looking forward too. The fight between myself and Gaara.

That was to be the fight. Two jinchuuriki unleashing their strengths against each other. I wasn't worried that I would lose, I just was looking forward to the fight. How could I not?

…...Minato Namikaze...

I tugged at the loose hairs falling over my forehead. I slowly shrugged on my famous white coat. As I passed through my empty house, I thought of the good memories. Of the birthdays and the holidays, the smiles on my children's... Narumi's face. Of Kushina and I when we first moved in.

As I walked towards the stadium, I thought of the simpler days before I had to fight bijus and keep secrets from the village. Before I had a son who wished for my death, before I had to seal biju into my own children.

I thought of my three students. Rin had long ago became a medical-nin while Obito after nearly being crushed by boulders, became a teacher at the academy. It wasn't long before those two had married, and Kakashi joined Anbu, alone again due to myself becoming Hokage.

I prepared myself, I was the fourth Hokage. I was the yellow flash, terror to Iwa, husband of the Red Hot-Blooded Habenero and student of Jiraiya of the Sannin. I was the proud progenitor of the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and a beautiful daughter. I was most of all a proud and loyal Shinobi of Konohagakure!

…...Kushina's perspective...

I lit a cigarette, taking long drags of the soothing nicotine. After so much stress from all the drama with Naruto and my own failings, I took up the bad habit. At this point, the only thing keeping me sane was the drugs in the tobacco, and my love for my family.

I let a small smile fix itself on my face when Minato appeared in a yellow flash in the middle of the arena. He had gone the whole nine yards with his entrance. Smoke had appeared from nowhere and curled around his legs. His cloak was billowing form an unheard wind, and his eyes were sharp and alive.

"Welcome to Konohagakure! I am the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze! I, and my village, are extremely proud to host this momentous event for every single man and woman in this crowd! The genin in this exam who hope to become chunin have trained for a whole month in preparation.

The blood, sweat, and tears of their hard work and dedication is all made to not only entertain you today, but to prove that they are chunin material. I am proud to say my children, Naruto and Narumi are both participating in this perilous event.

Now, you all have arrived here within this past week to see some fights, not me talking! Let the fights begin!"

With that, Minato flashed up into the Hokage box with the Kazekage. Down on the battlegrounds, Genma who was a chunin himself, walked to the center of the field. In an extremely loud voice, he called for the first two contestants.

"Will Senju-Uzumaki Naruto and Namikaze-Uzumaki Narumi please enter the arena!"

I growled at the mention of Tsunade Senju. The back stabbing bitch had stolen my son from me and there was nothing I could do about it. My child had been legally declared an adult the moment he got his headband. He had used those rights to become the slug bitch's son.

I smiled though when my children entered the arena proper. Both of them were so strong looking, so powerful and ready to take on the world. It didn't matter if my children hated me for I would always love them.

…... Fake Naruto's perspective...

I dropped down to the interior of the stadium to face Narumi. This fight would be easy. I walked towards the middle where my opponent and referee were standing.

"There are only two rules. No injuring the spectators. No leaving the stadium. Other than that, there are no rules. I do hold the right however to end the match whenever I deem fit. Is that understood?" Genma stated.

"Yes/Yep," Narumi and I replied at once.

"Then FIGHT!" Genma jumped back with a Shinobi leap.

Narumi charged for a powerful punch. I lifted my hand.

DOOSH!

The ground was cratered where I had punched it, leaving Narumi trying to get up off her ass from the ground. My one attack had completely threw her off her feet. I walked slowly towards her. While I held no resentment towards her for being a victim of circumstance, it didn't mean I liked her. I mean seriously, she watched me get beaten by an old asshole and said nothing.

Once I was close to her, I attempted to slam my foot into her stomach. Narumi at the last moment rolled out of the way. Once she had regained her footing, she launched several Kunai and Shuriken. I batted away the battle implements and continued on my path towards the female.

Narumi flashed through several seals and a torrent of water issued forth from her mouth. The water formed into a dozen small dogs of varying species, their watery forms teeming with chakra. I scoffed. Kushina was truly a fool if she thought this jutsu would help her daughter.

The small canines lunged and I punched each one that neared me forcing the water to explode about and soak me. The water drops that landed on my glasses were quickly displaced from their landing spot however due to me dashing forward at a nearly unfathomable speed. As I neared Narumi, I reared back my arm.

I was going to end this fight!

…...Narumi's perspective...

I closed my eyes awaiting sudden introduction into oblivion. The wind whistled as the fist of my brother flew through the air, the only sound I could hear. I stood there waiting, knowing I couldn't dodge. I waited, and waited. Nothing. I opened my eyes to see Naruto's fist pressed so lightly against my nose that I couldn't even feel it. His hand was that close to me. I backed away quickly.

Naruto stood there as still as a statue. I walked closer to him, and poked him. Nothing. I poked him again, then slammed a punch into his stomach. He didn't even move an inch. I began to reach for his glasses before suddenly I was blasted away.

I groaned as I regained my feet. Naruto was now hunched over, purple chakra flowing off of his body. What was happening? As I approached Naruto to take advantage of his quandary, I could hear him muttering.

"Not *huff huff* now, Kyuubi. I need to finish this fight. Whatever you want to tell me can wait!" Naruto's chakra returned to it's blue coloring and he launched towards me. I however was a good enough distance away to be able to roll out of the way of Naruto's chakra coated charge.

There was no doubt about it. I needed to use the special thing my mother had been teaching me.

"Prepare yourself, Nii-San! I trained so hard to be able to use this against you! This is my trump card!" I yelled. I then focused my energy. I needed to prove myself to my Nii-San!

…...Naruto's perspective...

I gawked at the amount of sheer chakra that was rolling off of Narumi. She had never even once shown that she reserves anywhere near this. I shook my head to clear my mind, this was nothing. I needed to stay calm, collected, and emotionless.

Narumi suddenly hunched over, her arms limp and her fiery red hair shielding her face. In sick fascination I watched six thick chains rise from her back. Each chain was at least thirty feet long and each and every link had a spike on either side. The ends of the chain however ended in a flat circle with dozens of short, stubby spikes accentuating the edge of the circles.

I scratched my cheek. I had to give it to Narumi, her jutsu was impressive. I let a grin fall over my face, now I just had to see if it held up to the test. I rushed forward, a rasengan formed in each hand. Narumi's six chains slammed into the ground, acting as half-a-dozen overly large legs.

I ended up flying straight under Narumi's limp body that was attached to the chains. That was strange. I wondered for a second as to what reason Narumi was limp before deducing it. The chains must require so much concentration from herself that she has to stop controlling her own body to control them.

I reformed a single Rasengan and added a sprinkle of Kyuubi chakra to it. The rasengan turned a darker shade of blue as I added the demonic chakra. I then threw the ball of chakra like a ball straight towards Narumi, before rushing towards her once more.

Regardless of her new fancy trick, she was still slow as hell. I jumped and the sunlight glinted off of Narumi's chakra chains, making them seem to glow brilliantly like the star itself. I landed directly on Narumi's back, and slammed a quick jab into her spine. Not enough to break her spine, or cripple her, but definitely enough to cause pain and disrupt her control if only a little.

I jumped off of Narumi as she attempted to forcibly remove me with her chains. While I had underestimated her, she still was no match for me.

"Narumi!" I yelled.

Even though Narumi's shiny red hair still covered her face, I heard her reply clear as day as she turned her head towards me.

"Yes, Nii-San!?"

"I'm sorry!" I yelled back.

"For what?!"

"This," I intoned loud enough for her to hear. I raised my hands into a simple ram seal and channeled chakra. Narumi immediately collapsed. My ephemeral seals at work again. Narumi slammed into the ground with a loud thud, her chains disappearing. I had placed a seal when I punched her that paralyzed the nervous system for about ninety seconds.

Well, ninety seconds was the longest amount of time I could make the not physical version do. If I created an ink and paper one, I could make it permanent. But that wasn't the point. The point was that I had easily won the fight and that Narumi was being carried towards the infirmary at this very moment.

The walk back to the contestant box was slow for one reason only. It was extremely difficult to hold back all of the demonic chakra that the Kyuubi was attempting to force through my system during the whole fight.

…...Several minutes later... Shikamaru's perspective...

"Will Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku Gaara please enter the arena!" Genma yelled.

I groaned, quietly moaning troublesome. I walked down the stairs and slouched into the arena. Why couldn't my mother just let me stay home. I didn't want to fight some stupid sand-nin, much less a jinchuuriki.

"Now, do I need to re-explain the rules to you two? No? Alright then, FIGHT!" Genma roared before backpedaling out of the battle radius.

I jumped backwards, barely in time to dodge a wave of sand. This was insane, why was I here? I could be taking a nap or watching the clouds, but no, my mother wanted some crazy sand Shinobi to crush me with sand. At least my death would be ironic.

Gaara, my opponent, flashed through several seals and I quickly dodged dozens of sand Shuriken. As I dodged, I struggled to think of a plan. There was so many variables, it was also quite hard to think of a proper course of action with sharp projectiles being launched at me.

I flipped through two seals and spawned nearly thirty normal bushin before shunshining over to a small copse of trees. I hid myself in a tree as Gaara destroyed and murdered my poor copies.

I quickly formed what most people called my thinking pose. I just used it as a way to keep my hands busy as I thought. There was four options that could lead to two favorable outcomes, and two agreeable outcomes. All of the other nine hundred and ninety-six plans I devised required either leaving the stadium, or the back up of various Shinobi.

The first three options were simple. The first option was to take my time and wait for the sun to go down enough to make it possible for me to capture Gaara from afar. This plan was risky because if Gaara caught me before I could capture him, or wizened up to my plans, I could lose.

My second option was to lay a ruse that made Gaara believe I was far more powerful than I truly was. If I used my abilities carefully, and played my cards close to my chest, I would be able to trick Gaara into over extending himself in an attack and capture him then.

My last option was to simply forfeit and be done with this all. I really didn't want to fight this battle, but I know what my mother would say and do if I quit. Strangely enough, I really disliked disappointing my mother.

Option four it is.

…...Gaara's perspective...

I glared around suspiciously, my sand sifting around slowly being the only sign of my restlessness. I had dispelled the Nara's clones a few minutes ago and was now simply waiting. I hadn't seen the boy ever since he had hid himself, and I was simply to lazy to be bothered to search for him. I much rather let him come to me.

I was just about to pull book that I had been reading lately out of my pouch when I heard the soft sound of footfall on my sand. I raised an eyebrow suspiciously as the Nara walked towards me brazenly, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumping in line with his bad posture.

He stopped about four feet away from me before speaking up.

"Eh... Sabaku-San, right? Well you see the thing is I don't really want to fight. So to save me some trouble and you some time, how about we play Ro Sham Bo? The winner decides what the loser does, like forfeiting or something," the words rolled off of the Nara's tongue, slowly and with little vigor.

"Well, first of all, why would I do that Nara-San? You do happen to be standing on my sand which I can control. I also question how you can assure that I would comply to your demands if I lost?" I asked, mostly confused over this turn of events.

"That's simple. I've already won," was his soft reply.

I sighed before attempting to raise my arm to command my sand towards the Nara. My arm didn't budge. I tried just mentally commanding my sand to attack the Nara, nothing. What had happened?

"You're probably wondering why you can't use your sand, or move for the matter. Well, as I walked on your sand, I used my Kagemane jutsu to connect to the shadow of each and every single grain. Then when I stopped moving, I connected my shadow to yours. Even though I can only hold this for three minutes, my victory is assured.

That is because if I feel even a single new grain of sand move, then I will set off the five dozen bomb seals under my shirt. I assure you that you won't survive the blast, nor escape due to time restraints. The seals have a thirty second timer. I started the timer five seconds ago," the Nara finished with a small smirk.

"Well played Nara-San. You only had one flaw in that plan of yours. You didn't realize I had a layer of sand over my entire body right before you captured me. That sand however is right above you in a spike. If you don't release me within five seconds, it will penetrate your skull and end your life," it was my turn to smirk as I said that.

The Nara looked up to look at the spike.

"You win. Proctor, I forfeit!" The Nara yelled.

I felt control return to me and bowed slightly to the Nara. He had almost bested me. But that fight had made my head hurt, I wonder if Temari has some headache pills.

…...Naruto's perspective...

I felt like slamming my head into a wall. That fight while intellectually powerful, was the most boring fight in all of existence. While the Kage, and some older or more experienced Shinobi will realize what occurred, the civilians will think they just stared each other to death, until Gaara formed a spike.

I perked up however when I heard the proctor call for my teammate to fight the Uchiha. Maybe this would be more interesting. I would also be able to find out what the two had been training to do.

…...Hinata's perspective...

I stood in the middle of the arena, only myself and the proctor present. Sasuke Uchiha was nowhere to be seen. Just as the proctor was about to say that Sasuke was disqualified, two Shinobi landed on the rim of the battle arena. One of the Shinobi disappeared and appeared in front of me. It was Sasuke. I assumed the other ninja was his Sensei.

After the crowd settled down from the last Uchiha's 'cool' entrance, the proctor yelled, "FIGHT," and(shitty reference go!) got the hell out of dodge.

I watched Sasuke apprehensively as he circled about me. I was itching to use some of my more powerful attacks. I really wanted Naruto-kun to see how strong I was. I really wanted him to love me because of my strength. But I needed to fight carefully. The Uchiha were a tricky bunch. My father had said so.

My opponent suddenly formed several seals before launching fireballs at me. I slipped around them, my flexibility allowing me to easily dodge the balls of flame. Sasuke then came towards me to engage in a bout of Taijutsu.

Sasuke threw forward a fist that I redirected before attempting to kick me in the jaw. I slapped away his leg and tried to seal some of his tenketsu with a few quick jabs. Sasuke simply jumped backwards, before re-engaging. For the next five minutes we traded quick blows, testing each others' abilities and looking for weaknesses.

Sasuke, appearing frustrated, jumped backwards and ran through a dozen seals. He then spewed forth a massive amount of fire. The fire coalesced into a dragon that roared towards the sky before dive-bombing me. I only had one chance to survive this.

When the jutsu neared me, I spun on my heels and yelled, "Hakkesho Kaiten!" When finished spinning, Sasuke was staring at me in shock. His eyes I noticed also had the Sharingan activated in them. I dashed forward and launched attack after attack, attempting to overwhelm Sasuke with powerful Jukenpo attacks.

Sasuke barely slid out of the way of each and every attack. Sasuke then suddenly kicked me and the stomach before backhanding me away. As I regained my feet, I watched Sasuke prepare for another jutsu. Sasuke finished the seals and gripped his left forearm, a large amount of lightning sparking from his fist.

I gasped. The amount of elemental chakra in his fist was massive. I knew if that attack even glanced then the battle was over. Sasuke charged straight at me and I yelled once more, "Hakkesho Kaiten!"

I opened my eyes to see Sasuke lying on his back a few feet away. His hand looked nearly burnt, scorch marks marring his skin. I sighed, regardless of whether he was hurt or not, I must win. As Sasuke regained his feet, I lowered myself for a more stable position.

When Sasuke finally regained his feet I quietly intoned, "Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho." I charged forward as I began to hit Sasuke's tenketsu, yelling numbers as I went.

"Two palms!"

Sasuke was staggered.

"Four palms!"

"Eight Palms!"

"Sixteen palms!"

Sasuke hunched over, his face alive with pain and shock.

"Thirty-two palms!"

"Sixty-four palms!"

Sasuke spat up some blood, his eyes dimming at this point. I moved my arms as fast as possible to finish this move, trying and failing to ignore th blood on my face.

"**One Hundred-twenty-eight Palms**!"

Sasuke was blasted backwards, blood dripping down his chin. He was already unconscious before he hit the ground. I panted, my arms hanging limply, the muscles within them burning. As a medic performed emergency work on Sasuke, I couldn't help but smile.

Even though I had almost killed that boy, my fingers just barely hitting the correct tenketsu and missing his heart, I had won. I had beaten an Uchiha. This was a tradition for the clan, to prove your abilities, and I had done. I had beat an Uchiha and would be able to move on to further fights!

Naruto must be proud of me!

…...Naruto's perspective...

I stared silently at Hinata panting down below in the arena. On her face was the largest smile I had ever seen her have. Though with blood splattered all over her face, it made it rather creepy. But to each their own.

My next fight would occur in an hour. I would be fighting Gaara. The fight would promise to be interesting. I will continue stating facts like a fucktard to myself.

** AN: Ok. I know this is on the short side, but I plan for a MASSIVE fight between Gaara and Naruto. I'm talking the whole nine yards. There will be biju, there will be Egos running rampant within Naruto's head. There will be Kyuubi attempting to fix shit! Most of all, there will be death. Of who, well. You'll find out.**

** Also, on a secondary note. The don't worry about Hinata anymore thing will be answered next chapter. I promise on each and every one of your kawaii desu souls. REVIEW AND STUFF.**


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